Serenity
by NovaCaine9923
Summary: A girl missing for six years. An invisible man with a deadly secret. The horrifying hybrids no one saw coming. Questions are answered and discoveries are made in this thrilling fourth installment of "Who, What, When, Where, Why?"
1. Chapter 1

Synopsis:

A girl missing for six years. An invisible man with a deadly secret. The horrifying hybrids no one saw coming. Questions are answered and discoveries are made in this thrilling fourth installment of "Who, What, When, Where, Why?"

Serenity

A Monster High fanfiction by Nova Caine

 _Prologue:_

 _Before Napoleon's purge_

 _Suggested track (yes, I'm continuing doing this)- Going Under- Evanescence_

"He may not look dangerous, but when he's angry, you'd better stay away," Napoleon gestured to the unconscious boy strapped to the chair before him. "His mother murdered her entire high school with just her mind. I have no doubt he can do the same."

The young, female college student observed the boy in the chair before asking, "Does he have a name?"

Napoleon nodded. "Of course. They call him Invisibilly. The invisible man, or Griffin, was his father. His mother is the infamous Carrie White,"

The college student gave Napoleon a puzzled look. "I thought she was dead."

"You _thought_ she was dead," Napoleon smirked, flicking a lock of hair from his face. "She escaped. She survived being stabbed and created a telekinetic cocoon around herself to survive being hit by the debris of her house. She then became homeless, until our dear Griffin Phadin found her and married her. It was quite strange, and their age difference could've gotten Griffin arrested."

The student nodded. "I see," she stared at Invisibilly and pointed at a needle sticking in his head. "Why does he have that?"

"Well," Napoleon stroked the comatose boy's cheek, grinning. "So far, it seems he only has his father's powers, but in order for my plan to take place, I need to unlock his physic powers, for I know he has them. The needle increases his sixth sense and opens his telekinesis, so I've been knocking him out and giving him this needle every day. It's making him more aggressive, but his hostility will unlock his powers. Until now, his only real power was making himself invisible and playing tricks."

"Yes," the student said softly, brushing the boy's hair back. "He always did love to play tricks."

Napoleon raised an eyebrow, and after a moment inquired, "I never did catch your name."

The girl did not respond, but suddenly she pulled a small gun from her pocket and fired. There was no bullet, just a dart that flew from the gun and sunk into the older man's neck. Napoleon gasped, stumbled backwards and fell to the ground.

The student bent down and checked his pulse, then got up and pulled the needle from Invisi's forehead. She undid the straps holding him down and patted his cheek.

"Hey! Billy, wake up!"

Invisi's eyes fluttered open, his brow furrowing as he regained consciousness. "Who…who is that?"

The student helped him up, putting an arm around him to keep him standing. "Billy, it's me! Your sister, Disappear!"

Before anyone noticed them, they faded away and escaped.

 _Six years later-_

They had been traveling for a few hours. It was dark, late, and difficult to stay on the road.

Tessa chewed on some bacon she had saved in her personal cooler, sighing and staring out at the road. She looked at her husband, John, and asked, "Any rest stops comin' up?"

John shrugged, tucking his long red hair behind his ear. "Don't know. There's probably one coming up."

"What?" a sleepy little voice called out from the backseat.

John turned around, smiling at the little boy behind him. "Nothing, Cricket. You can go back to sleep."

Cricket nodded, bunching up his little blanket and snuggling into it. The car began to beep, and John grimaced.

"Damn it, we need to find a gas station or we're gonna break down!"

Tessa looked out the window and pointed. "Up here! Yes, right here."

The car pulled into the station, and John opened the door. "This will only take a few minutes," he assured as he got out and closed the door.

Cricket lifted his head back up again, rubbing his eyes. "Mommy, are we home yet?"

Tessa shook her head. "Not yet, baby. Daddy's filling up the car," she looked out at her husband, and decided to make things interesting. With a devilish smirk, she turned the headlights off, leaving John in the dark.

After a few moments, he finished filling up the car and opened up the door. "Why did you do that?" he asked, raising an eyebrow as he sat in his seat.

"Just to mess with ya," Tessa grinned, shoving him playfully. John gave her a look and lightly shoved her back.

"Alrighty then, turn them back on!"

Tessa tapped her chin in though. "Let me think…nah!"

"You turned them off, now turn them back on!"

"Fine, whatever," she did as she was told, and the lights came back on. Tessa quirked an eyebrow. "Happy?"

Suddenly, Cricket let out a shriek from the back seat. John whipped around immediately.

"What is it, kiddo!?"

Whimpering, Cricket pointed ahead, in front of the car. His parents looked to where he was pointing, and Tessa covered her mouth in surprise, gasping, "Oh, my God!"

There, in front of the car, was a young girl about the age of six. She had short black hair and she wore a dirty, torn dress. Blood dripped down from her ear and from between her legs, and tears rolled down her cheeks. She just stood there, breathing softly. Her small lips parted, and the light from the headlights glittered off her underdeveloped vampire fangs.

John's jaw dropped. "Good God."

 **Hey!**

 **Okay, usually I don't post a new story like this right after finishing another, but I'm really excited about this one and I wanted to have an early start! Like I said earlier, because of school and other commitments, I may not be posting as much, but you can expect updates about every weekend.**

 **I originally wasn't going to post this, since some of you may need to read the last chapter of "Edge Of The Cliff", but in any case, here's some new stuff for you to chew on.**

 **Until next time, my fellow monsters!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Sweater

 _Suggested Track: Titanium- David Guetta and Sia_

The entire room was silent as the ghostly teacher hovered around, a navy blue sweater clenched in her fist.

"Who's sweater is this?" Mrs. Haunter asked, her eerie eyes scanning the classroom full of first graders. "Who's? It's been on the coat rack for a few months."

Nobody spoke. The sweater was very old and even if it belonged to any of the children they wouldn't say so. Mrs. Haunter was getting very irritated with the silence, and she said in a louder voice, "It has to belong to somebody!"

A hand rose up from the second row, and Mrs. Haunter asked, "Is it yours, Aqua?"

Aqua, the girl who had raised her hand, was a blonde, pale skinned petite girl with gray-blue eyes. She folded her hands on her desk, her pink lips stretching into a thin smile.

"It's not mine, Mrs. Haunter. I think it belongs to Icer."

Heads turned to the boy in the front row, who looked around in surprise. Icer's mouth opened as if to speak, but nothing came out.

There was a pause, and Mrs. Haunter said simply, "Oh, yes. I see." She floated to the boy and placed the sweater on his desk.

"I'm not…that's not…not mine!" Icer finally squeaked out in a small voice.

"Of course it's yours," Mrs. Haunter turned away and went to the chalkboard. "You wore it once, I remember."

As Mrs. Haunter continued with the lesson, Icer scowled down at the little blue mountain of yarn on his desk. It was a hideous sweater; the buttons looked centuries old and the sleeves were so long one could play jump rope with them. While Mrs. Haunter focused on adding and subtracting numbers, Icer picked up his ruler and cautiously pushed the horrible sweater to the edge of his desk. He then picked up his pencils, his eraser and his favorite pen and brought them all closer to him.

It was very close to the end of the day, and Icer was silently wishing the clock's hands would move faster. It was Friday, and he knew that tonight was a special night. His parents would take him out to dinner to see their friends, and Icer would see his own best friend, Valentina. She was in his classroom, but she always sat way in the back with her head on the desk. They never played with each other at school, because when they did, everyone said they were boyfriend and girlfriend, and that made Icer mad.

"Icer!" Mrs. Haunter snapped, yanking the poor youngster out of his thoughts. "The bell's going to ring in a few minutes, and I want you to put on that sweater right now. No nonsense!"

Icer looked at Mrs. Haunter, then down at the sweater hanging off the desk like a dark water fall, and then back at his teacher. "It's not mine, Mrs. Haunter-!"

" _NOW!_ "

His little, clawed fingers trembling, Icer grabbed the sweater, slipping his arm through the sleeve and making a face. It smelled like the gel his mother put on his chest when he was sick, but a lot worse. He put his arm through the other sleeve, and hot tears began to blur his vision.

The bell rang, and all the students began to pick up their things, all except for Icer, who sat there with his arms outstretched like the sweater hurt him. Mrs. Haunter saw this and rolled her eyes.

"Icer, I don't care if you hate the sweater. I just need you out of this room because I'm having a meeting with a parent!"

Valentina walked up with book bag in hand, and she used her free hand to pat Icer's shoulder. "You can take it off when you get outside," she assured kindly.

Icer nodded, gathering up his things and shoving them in his bag. As he started to walk out the door, he was surprised to see his father standing right outside in the hallway.

"Hey, buddy," Heath smiled, putting his phone in his pocket. "How was scho…." He trailed off, quirking an eyebrow at what his little boy was wearing. "Why are you wearing a girl's sweater?"

Upon hearing this, Icer promptly burst into tears, covering his face and sobbing uncontrollably. Heath's eyes widened in panic. "What?! What's wrong?"

"Mrs. Haunter made him wear it," Valentina explained in her quiet voice.

Heath sighed, bending down and removing the sweater with a grimace. "Wow, this thing's ugly!" laying the sweater on the ground, he picked up his son and held the sniffling boy close, rubbing his back to comfort him. "Hey, it's okay. You're not wearing it anymore, it's all right." Icer's sobs simmered down to a series of little squeaks, and he dried his tears on his dad's shoulder. Heath kissed his cheek, asking, "Wanna talk to Mrs. Haunter about it?" Icer nodded, sniffling. Heath balanced Icer in one arm and picked up the sweater with his free hand, turning to walk into the classroom. But before he did, he looked down at Valentina. "Is your mom coming, Valentina?"

Valentina shook her head, her little wolf ears twitching. "Nope. Daddy's coming today." She looked out the window, seeing Valentine standing outside. She smiled at him, and went out the door to meet him. Heath watched for a moment as Valentine took his little girl's hand and led her away to their car.

Heath entered the classroom ready to spring on Mrs. Haunter for making his son feel so terrible, but grumbled in annoyance when he saw her talking to Toralei Stripe and her son, Tigerclaw.

"So, you see, Miss Stripe," Mrs. Haunter showed the werecat a few completed worksheets of Tigerclaw's. "As you can see, your son is clearly colorblind. This worksheet's directions clearly stated to use all the rainbow's colors, yet he only used red and black."

Toralei looked over the paper with uninterested eyes, and turned to Tigerclaw. "Why are you only using two crayons?"

"Because Will Harding called me ugly and took my other crayons," Tigerclaw said innocently.

Toralei shoved the paper back in Mrs. Haunter's hand and stalked off, scooping Tigerclaw up. "There ya go. I'll buy him more crayons, and you tell that damn Will Harding to leave my kid alone!" and with that, she left.

Mrs. Haunter turned her attention to Heath, and she looked at the dangling sweater and the tearful child in alarm. "Is something the matter, Mr. Burns?"

"Yes!" Heath shoved the sweater in the teacher's face. "You made my son wear this!?"

Mrs. Haunter was confused. "It's not his?"

Heath's jaw dropped in disbelief. "You actually think I would make my son wear this!?"

"What's going on?" Iris Clops, now the child psychologist of the school, poked her head in the room with a puzzled look on her face. Her eye caught the sweater, and she walked in and took it from Heath. "Why do you have my sweater?"

Mrs. Haunter went speechless, and Icer squealed out, "Teacher made me wear it!" and hid his face in Heath's neck.

Iris stared at Mrs. Haunter for a few moments, and then walked out of the room.

Heath and Icer arrived back home minutes later, and Abbey came to greet them.

"How was school, mal'chik?" Abbey smiled, picking her son up giving him a nuzzle on the cheek.

Icer nuzzled her back, saying, "The fat lunch lady ripped her pants, and Mrs. Haunter made me wear a girl's sweater!"

Abbey rolled her eyes. "That Mrs. Haunter full of stupid. She may be teacher, but not always smart."

They went inside, and Icer clapped his hands together. "Are we still going out to eat with our friends at the restaurant?"

Heath nodded, putting his keys on the counter. "Yep. This time, you and Valentina shouldn't run off and go to the bar area like last time."

"I promise, we won't," he stated sincerely. "We'll play with the jukebox and that's it."

Heath nodded. "Okay, good."

Merida walked in, and she bent down and kissed Icer's head. "How's my boy? How was school today?"

"It was good, grandma!" Icer gave her a hug, and went to the living room to watch television.

Merida waited until he left, then began to speak to Heath. "Your friend Jackson called about your event tonight. He said that he met a strange girl at the hospital today."

Heath raised an eyebrow. "Strange?"

"She never said a word," Merida explained. "Somebody brought her in last night."

"Why did Jackson tell you this?"

"I'm not sure," Merida admitted. "He said he'd explain more tonight."

Heath shrugged. "Okay, then. We leave at 6:30?"

"Yes,"

"Are you coming, mom?"

Merida shook her head. "No, there's a special on TV about Mormons, and I intend to watch it."

Icer suddenly called from the living room, "Daddy, I can't find the remote!"

Heath walked into the living room and bent down, reaching into the crevice of the couch and pulling out the small device. "Here, bud."

Icer smiled, changing the channel to some cartoons and slurping his chocolate milk through a straw. Heath sat beside him, putting an arm around him and just watching him. Icer looked up at his father, pouting and shoving a napkin in his face.

"Stop lookin' at me!"

Heath laughed, running his hand through his son's hair and leaving the room.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Religious Hero and The Uncaring Queen

 _Suggested Track: Rainbow Connection – Sarah Mclachlan_

The restaurant wasn't packed like it usually was. It's current occupants were just the few regulars and, arriving one by one, the group of friends.

"Well, look who finally showed up!" Heath teased as Duece walked in the door with Cleo not far behind.

Cleo raised an eyebrow in annoyance. "You're too old for your games, Heath. Set a good example for your boy."

At this moment, Duece and Cleo's twin girls (who were about the age of three) came trotting up, stopping to take in their surroundings. Viper, the bolder one, adjusted her dark glasses and looked around the place, smiling with approval. Dusa, on the other hand, was not so brave, and she clung to her father's pant leg right away.

"How now?" Cleo cooed, stooping down and patting Dusa's head. "Don't hide from our friends, my sweet gem."

Duece bent down and pried Dusa off his leg, picking her up and saying, "Look, there are paintings on the wall. Wanna go look at them?"

Dusa, who was very fond of art, nodded and wrapped her arms around her father's neck as he started towards the paintings. Before he did, he said to Cleo, "We're going over there."

Cleo nodded. "Of course, I'll tell you when there's a waiter, my darling," she took Viper's hand and led her to the booth, taking a seat. Heath and Abbey had already been seated, along with Jackson and Frankie and their infant son, Johnathan.

Frankie grinned when she saw Cleo, and reached out to shake Viper's little hand. "Why, hello! Hi, Viper! How are you?"

Viper smiled, returning the handshake. "I am good today," she then focused her attention to the newborn in the baby carrier, touching his palm gently and watching his hand wrap around her finger.

"How old is he, now?" Heath asked Jackson, who simply gazed at the way little Viper interacted with Jonathan.

"About five weeks old," Jackson said after a moment, affectionately rubbing his son's cheek. "It's hard to believe, really. I mean, think about it: nine months ago, he didn't even exist! It's weird to think about, isn't it?"

Heath nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I guess I never thought about that," he looked over at Icer, who had both his hands on the table and was looking around at the door.

"Valentina's still not here!" Icer whined anxiously, chewing on his lip.

"She'll be here soon, buddy," Heath assured, patting his son's back. "Can't you look at the kid's menu and see what you wanna eat?"

Icer pouted, sinking down in the chair. "I guess,"

The door opened, and Abbey tapped her son's shoulder. "Mal'chik, look! Here now, she comes."

In through the door walked Draculaura, Clawd, Howleen, Valentine and, much to Icer's delight, Valentina.

When Icer saw his friend, he leapt out of the booth immediately and tried to run to her, but Abbey grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. "Hey! Come on, now, naughty boy!"

Abbey took Icer by the hand and went to greet her friends, and Duece took this moment to approach Clawd and Valentine.

"Hey, there!" Duece greeted, shaking Clawd's hand while balancing Dusa in the crook of his arm. "It's great to be here, right?"

Clawd nodded. "Yeah, it is. Man, I haven't seen you in a while," he took notice of Dusa, and his voice dropped a bit quieter. "Which one is that, again?"

"This is Dusa," Duece clarified, feeling somewhat irritated. "You'll know Viper because she wears glasses and Dusa doesn't need to,"

"Daddy," Dusa said in a voice so quiet it was nearly a breath. "Daddy, I'm hungry."

It took Duece a moment to understand what she had said, and when he did, he answered, "I know, we'll eat in a minute, sweetie."

Valentine glanced around a bit, raising an eyebrow at Clawd. "Wasn't Dodger with us?"

"What do you mean?" Clawd asked, somewhat confused.

"He came with us, didn't he?"

Clawd looked behind him, and then began to look around frantically. "What the-?! Oh, no!" he tapped Draculaura. "Where's Dodger!?"

Draculaura's face fell. "He's not with you?!"

At this moment, Clawd's ears picked up the sound of giggling, and he turned to a nearby potted plant. Angered, he stalked over to the plant, reached behind it and pulled out five year old Dodger.

"Ah! Daddy!" Dodger squealed, kicking his little feet and squirming from his father's grip. "Daddy, I wanted to jump out and scare you!"

"You scared me enough!" Clawd scolded, handing the child over to his mother. "Now, let's go sit down, okay?"

As everybody settled down at the booth, Heath got Jackson's attention by lightly poking his shoulder.

"So, what were you gonna tell me about that little girl you saw at the hospital?"

Jackson nodded, taking a sip of his water. "Oh, yeah. There's a little vampire girl, probably about five years old based on the size of her fangs. Somebody found her at a gas station near the city. She doesn't talk, but she seems to understand English."

"No idea where she came from?" Heath inquired. Jackson shook his head, sighing.

"No idea. She could be a victim of human trafficking or even child prostitution, which…" Jackson glanced around to make sure no children were eavesdropping, then went back to the conversation. "I think the second one is true. She has some…injuries that could've only been inflicted by sexual abuse. It's terrible. And if her parents weren't her abusers, then they're probably worried sick about her."

Heath looked over at Icer, who was just a short distance away with Valentina near the jukebox. "I can't imagine being separated from Icer like that," Heath sighed, resting his head in his hand. "I would just feel so scared, and I know Abbey would, too."

"The feeling of thinking you've lost your child is an awful one," Jackson said softly, looking to little Jonathan he lay snuggled in Frankie's arms. Frankie, who had been listening, delicately passed Jonathan over to his father and brushed Jackson's arm tenderly. Jackson planted a kiss on Jonathan's head, watching him yawn and stretch his arms. "I remember when he was born, he was just totally still and quiet. I was mortified because I thought he was just gone forever, that all the toys we'd bought him and the crib we'd prepared had all been for nothing. And then," Jackson lightly traced the stitches on the baby's neck with his finger, rubbing the bolts sticking out and feeling the tiny flicks of static. "Frankie suggested we give him these. Surprisingly, it worked, and when we added some electricity he just started coughing. We were both just so relieved," Jackson smiled fondly at the memory, thinking of how happy he'd been at the moment he realized that his son was going to live after all. His smile faded, and he looked over at Heath. "I feel for this girl's parents, if they are indeed worried about her."

"Jackson," Frankie spoke up, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I meant to ask when you told me about this earlier: do you think I could come talk to this girl?"

Jackson quirked an eyebrow. "You want to?"

Frankie nodded. "Yeah, maybe I can get her to say something. Is she open for visitors?"

"I'm not sure," Jackson admitted. "But, maybe I can arrange something."

"Do you think I could go, too?" Draculaura asked, and when Jackson looked at her in alarm, she grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, I couldn't help but overhear. It's just, I won't be doing anything tomorrow since Clawd and Dodger are going to the museum form the afternoon and my meeting cancelled. Since this girl is a vampire, she might feel better with another vampire."

Jackson nodded slowly, contemplating this. "Yes, of course, that might work. All right, I'll see if I can work something out, and you guys can meet her tomorrow afternoon, okay?"

Saturday afternoon, at the local hospital, Jackson led Frankie and Draculaura down the hall to a small but enjoyable room.

"She's in here," Jackson gestured to the door. "She's very skittish, so be careful not to upset her. If you need anything, call the nurse. I need to take care of something, and I'll be back in about half an hour."

"Jackson, wait!" Frankie grabbed Jackson's arm as he was about to leave and kissed his cheek. "What time did we tell the babysitter we'd be back?"

Jackson pecked her lips gently. "About an hour. Is that enough time?"

Frankie squeezed his hand, nodding. "I think so, yep."

Jackson smiled at her, kissing her hand once before disappearing down the hallway.

Very quietly, Draculaura and Frankie entered the room, careful not to scare the small child sitting in the bed watching TV. The girl didn't seem to notice them until Frankie gently knocked on the wall, making the little one jump and gasp.

"No, it's okay!" Frankie assured, reaching out and rubbing the girl's shoulder caringly. "Come on, sweetie, we're not gonna hurt you."

The girl relaxed a bit, though her eyes still showed fright. She stared at the strangers' faces through wide, brown eyes (an unusual color for a vampire), and she turned back to the TV. For a moment, no one spoke until Frankie sat on the bed and pulled out a small book from her bag.

"Can you read?" Frankie asked, showing her the book.

The girl looked down at the cover, then up at Frankie with a shrug, mouthing the words, ' _a little_ '.

Frankie smiled, reading off the words printed on the cover. "' _Famous Women Throughout History'_. I'm going to show some of these women to you today to show you that you can do anything, all right?"

When the girl nodded, Frankie delightedly opened the book and flipped to a random page, grinning at the woman she found. "Ah! Here's a great example. This is Anne Hutchinson. She believed what she wanted to believe, and she tried to tell other people but they didn't want to listen to her. They put her on trial, and they even threw her out of town! But, today, some people call her a hero."

The little girl looked somewhat unimpressed, but she seemed to be staring very intently at the name printed across the top. After some silence, Frankie flipped through the book again. this time, the little girl suddenly pointed to a page, and Frankie halted.

"What?" she looked down, seeing the woman the girl had pointed out. "Oh, her? She's not a hero. Her name was Marie Antoinette, and she was not a very good queen. Her people were very poor, yet she did nothing to help them. Isn't that sad?"

Frankie's brow furrowed, seeing the girl had placed her thumb on the page as a sort of bookmark as she flipped back to the page on Anne Hutchinson, and she began flipping between the two pages. She glanced up at Frankie, and then pointed to the word, ' _Anne_ ' and on the other page ' _Marie_ '. She pointed to the names a second time and pointed to herself.

It took Frankie a moment to realize what the girl was trying to tell her. "Your name is Anne Marie?" she said finally.

Anne Marie grinned, looking away shyly. Frankie simply smiled back, running a hand through the child's hair. "That's a pretty name."

Draculaura, however, suddenly felt a tingle in her brain, as if an overlooked memory tried to get her attention. Her eyes widened, and she remembered that 'Anne Marie' had been the name of Valentine's illegitimate daughter, the one the social workers took from him six years earlier. And, as Draculaura stared at this girl a bit more, she noticed the brown eyes matched Jared's eyes almost perfectly, and her jawline and ears synchronized seamlessly with those of Valentine's.

As Draculaura watched Anne Marie come out of her shell, she thought, _T_ _his has to be her. It just has to be._

 **Hello, again! Wow, it's been awhile.**

 **I thought I should just take a moment to say that I got the role of "Magdelena" in my upcoming show "The Craving", which should be very successful when it premieres on stage this fall! I'm very excited about that, as you can see!**

 **So, thoughts on this chapter? What do you think of the OC babies? Cute or nah? Do you think that little girl is Valentine's daughter? How do you think she ended up where she did? Please give me your thoughts!**

 **Until next chapter, fellow monsters!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Never trust a killer clown

 _Suggested track: Paradise (cover)- Within Temptation_

That Wednesday had started out like every other day of the week. Heath prepared breakfast while Abbey got Icer ready for school. After dropping Icer off, Abbey went off to work at the department store while Heath took his college classes online (his mother had been pestering him for about a year for not going to college, so he took online courses just to please her).Abbey returned from work around noon to prepare lunch for herself and Heath, just like always, and Heath turned on the radio for background noise.

However, this particular Wednesday completely broke the routine when Abbey's phone began to ring. Quirking an eyebrow, she set down her forkful of pasta back on her plate and answered.

Heath wasn't really paying much attention to Abbey's phone, so he just gulped down some of his water in peace. That is, until Abbey said suddenly, "What!? Oh, no! You want us to get him?"

Heath's eyes widened and he stared at Abbey in silence as she nodded in agreement to what was being said on the phone.

"Yes, we be there right away!" she disconnected, and stood up from the table.

"Is everything okay?" Heath asked, very concerned.

Abbey sighed, picking up her dishes. "We need to get Icer. His teacher just call and say he just got sick at school."

"What!? Oh, geez," Heath began to pick up his dishes as well. "Poor kid, he seemed okay this morning."

Brushing some hair out of her face, Abbey grabbed the car keys off the counter. "Well, let us get him. it could just be grouchy old Mrs. Haunter make him sick. Don't blame him, she make me sick, too."

When the parents arrived, they headed straight for the nurse's office, where they were sure he would be.

"It's kinda funny," Heath smiled weakly as they trudged towards the office. "Icer was born in a nurse's office, and now we're picking him up from one."

Abbey thought about what he had said for a moment, and then shrugged. "Interesting, yes. Do not see how is funny, though."

They entered the room, and they were immediately greeted by Mrs. Haunter.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Burns," Mrs. Haunter nodded, looking somewhat annoyed. "You're son is in the back room. You are free to take him home, but tonight I'd like to meet with you about what happened today."

"Wait- what!?" Heath exclaimed in alarm. "I thought he threw up! What is there to talk about!?"

"Let's just say there was an issue involving another student," Mrs. Haunter sighed, rolling her eyes. "No more questions, please. You're free to take him." and with that, she turned and drifted away.

Abbey snarled under her breath. "Don't like her."

Heath mumbled in irritation, turning to the backroom door. Very quietly, he opened it, and he and Abbey were met with their son sitting in the middle of the room leaning over a waste basket.

Icer wasn't vomiting at the moment, but the tears in his eyes and the repulsive stain on his shirt proved that he had been. He looked up when his parents walked in, and he began to sob.

Abbey covered her mouth at her son's sorry state, and she went to him instantly. "Oh, no! Moy bednyy rebenok, vy byli bol'ny ? Idi ko mne!" Icer didn't really understand his mother's language, but nevertheless he buried his face in her neck and soaked up all the comfort he needed. Heath knelt down beside his little boy, rubbing his back affectionately.

"Wanna talk about it, kiddo?" Heath asked lightly.

Icer sniffed and shook his head, saying in a very soft voice, "I just wanna go home."

Heath nodded, getting up. "I know, we're gonna take you home. You'll be okay,"

When they arrived home, Abbey got Icer out of his dirty clothes and into a warm bubble bath. As Abbey gently scrubbed her son's back, the story about what happened at school that day poured out in a very distressed manner:

"I-I started to feel weird during silent reading time, but I went to go tell Mrs. Haunter I wasn't feeling good and she wasn't there,"

Abbey wrung out a washcloth, feeling peeved. "Teacher was not there? Teacher was not in classroom with you?"

Icer swallowed, wiping his eyes with his wrist. "Yeah, and-and, I wanted to go into the hallway to look for her, but Aqua- this girl in my class- said I wasn't allowed to. I-I said she wasn't the boss of me, and she slapped me."

"Aqua girl sounds like bitch," Abbey remarked, grabbing a bottle of soap.

Icer became a bit cross with her. "That's a bad word, Mommy!"

"Oh, right. Sorry, continue."

"W-well, then Valentina came up and told Aqua she wasn't allowed to hit, and Aqua said _Valentina_ wasn't the boss! So-so then Valentina got mad and scratched Aqua's cheek and blood came out!" he splashed in the water with the excitement of the memory, but soon stopped. "Aqua screamed and tried to hit Valentina, but then-then I pulled Aqua's hair and told her to shut up. B-but then the teacher came in and told Valentina and me to go to the principal's office, but we stood there and didn't go and she picked me real fast and squeezed me around- around here," he motioned wildly to his stomach. "And then I threw up!"

Abbey clicked her tongue, shaking her head and cleaning behind Icer's ears with a washcloth. "Poor, poor mal'chik. Story is very sad. Do not worry, tomorrow will be better."

Icer managed to smile. "I don't have to go to school tomorrow, right?"

"Right, sweet boy," Abbey smiled back and gave him a kiss. "I love you, little mal'chik."

Icer hugged his mother, though he was sopping wet and he barely had the strength to hug. "I love you, too, Mommy."

Heath stood in the doorway, watching his wife and child silently. After a moment, he turned away and went to the living room, seeing his mother sitting on the couch with a cup of tea.

"How is he?" Merida asked, setting down her crossword puzzle.

Heath sighed, glancing back towards the bathroom. "A little better. I don't know what could've made him sick, though. He had his normal breakfast this morning, didn't he?"

Merida nodded. "He did, yes. You never know, he could have a fever. Of course, it's hard to tell when our type has a fever."

Heath nodded in agreement, then asked, "Mom, do you wanna stay with Icer tonight while Abbey and I go rat out his teacher?"

Merida held in a laugh. "'Rat out'? You shouldn't do that, son. Just keep your cool and find out all the details without exploding, okay?"

"Yeah, sure," Heath rolled his eyes. "But, if you're going to tell anyone that, it should be Abbey."

Merida chuckled, standing up to put her tea in the sink. "True, true. But, I'm your mother, not hers."

A few hours later, Abbey and Heath drove back to the school to have a serious conversation with Mrs. Haunter. When they arrived in the classroom, the only other parents were Howleen and Valentine. Aqua's parents, whoever they were, were not present.

"Are we the only ones?" Heath asked, looking around the room with a raised eyebrow and noticing Mrs. Haunter was not there either.

Howleen shrugged, looking in her pocket mirror and applying lip gloss. "Apparently. Mrs. Haunter went to print something out; she'll be back soon."

Abbey snarled, sitting down in a chair and glaring at Mrs. Haunter's desk. "Stupid, stupid teacher. Pound her flat, I will."

"Hey," Valentine spoke up. "Just be glad she's not Napoleon."

Mrs. Haunter walked in right at that moment, eyes narrowing when she suspected that they might be talking about her. She laid the newly printed stack of papers on her desk and took a seat, looking around. "The others should be coming. Aqua's mother called and said they'd be running a bit late."

Heath crossed his arms, trying his best not to completely lose it and scream in this ghost woman's face. "They'd better show up. I'd like to know which worthless sacks of DNA created that little brat."

The door swung open, and Heath got his answer. Entering the room first was a tall, thin, pale skinned normie with long blond hair tucked neatly into a braid that draped across her shoulder. She was very beautiful, though her face was tilted down and focused on the phone she held in her hands. She looked up from the phone, shutting it off and grinning a little sheepishly. Directly behind her was a small, lean man, and right away the other parents recognized him.

"Invisibilly!?" Heath exclaimed, eyes going wide. "But-what!?"

Invisi didn't seem to know why everyone was so surprised. "What do you mean?"

"Aqua's your daughter?" Howleen asked, her eyes darting over occasionally to the blond woman.

The blond woman sighed, pulling up a chair. "Please understand that we didn't raise her to treat other students like that. She's a very bossy little girl, and she'll do anything to make people respect authority," the woman smiled faintly. "She gets that from me."

Heath could do nothing except stare at Invisibilly in awe as he took a seat. That little girl who'd made Icer feel so terrible was the daughter of that lovable prankster, that small boy who worked on the soundboard for play productions and made a game of fading in and out of visibility during picture day. This was a very difficult thing to process, so difficult that Heath had a hard time focusing on what Mrs. Haunter was saying.

"As you can see, we're all upset about what happened today, and hopefully it won't happen again," Mrs. Haunter gathered up the papers she had printed as she spoke. "However, all of your children have been having some issues, so I feel it would be best if you took a look at these flyers I received from a local behavioral correction program. Take a look at it and tell me what you think."

The advertisement went something like this:

" _Dear parent,_

 _Is your child rebellious? Do they have issues at school or at home? Do you just wish they would do what you wanted for once? If you answered yes to any of these, then come to 'The Lovely Gutter Inn' for an after school correction program that will only cost you $10 to sign up! Your child will be shaped into the person you want them to be in just a few weeks._

 _Just call the number on the back and set up a date to come in and look around to make sure it's what you want._

 _I hope to see you there!_

 _Carlotta Pennywise"_

Valentine's eyes widened and he looked at Mrs. Haunter in disbelief. "'Pennywise'? As in 'It'?

"Don't worry, the apple fell very far from the tree," Mrs. Haunter assured. "She loves children, she even has quite a few foster children of her own. And her methods, whatever they are, work very well with disobedient children."

Heath chewed on his lip, looking over at Abbey with apprehension. "Well? What do you think?"

Abbey looked unimpressed, her eyes skimming the paper. "Don't know. Don't know if I trust it,"

"What are her methods, exactly?" the blond woman asked, cocking her head to the side.

"I'm not sure," Mrs. Haunter admitted. "But they work very well. I told Ms. Pennywise that you'd come in Friday afternoon with your children just to see what you think. Will Friday work?"

"I'm afraid not," the blond woman confessed. "I have a board meeting that day."

"I can go in," Invisi assured. "I'll tell you all about it later."

Mrs. Haunter rubbed her chin, nodding. "All right. Is it good for anyone else?"

Valentine tapped Howleen's shoulder. "Which one of us has her on Friday? I can never remember."

Howleen nodded slowly, thinking this over. "I think I do. You had her last week, right? I mean you picked her up, didn't you?"

When Valentine simply shrugged, Howleen said, "Ah, well. I'll ask my mom, she probably remembers. But yeah, one of us will bring her."

When there were no other objections, Mrs. Haunter smiled and stood up. "All right, I guess that settles it. The directions to The Lovely Gutter are on the back as well as Carlotta's number. If there are any more concerns, let me know."

In the car on the way back home, Abbey looked back down at the flyer with a sigh. "I still don't feel like this is good thing. Something is fishy."

"Yeah," Heath agreed. "And with a name like 'Pennywise', it can't be good."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The Lovely Gutter

 _Suggested Track: Farther Away-Evanescence_

The Lovely Gutter Inn was anything but lovely.

It looked like it had been a nice place once, but the peeling paint and the overflowing trashcan outside the door told a different story.

Abbey sighed, getting out of the car along with Heath and Icer. Icer took one look at the building and right away rooted into his father's leg timidly. Heath bent down and patted his son's head.

"It's okay, bud. Look, maybe it won't be so bad."

"I don't wanna go in!" Icer pouted, glaring at the building. "It's ugly."

Despite Icer's pleas, the little family went to the door, and Abbey knocked.

There were a few seconds of silence, and then some faint voices were heard from the inside. After a moment, the door opened and a honey-skinned girl who was probably no older than ten answered.

"Are you here to see Ms. Pennywise?" the girl asked calmly. She almost sounded like an adult, and that concerned Abbey a little bit.

"Yes, yes we are," Abbey tried to look behind the girl, but all she saw was an empty hallway. "We are here for after school correction program?"

The girl smiled, turning away and beckoning them. "Right this way."

The three followed her, and she opened up a door and led them inside. Once they stepped in the room, the girl slammed the door behind them so suddenly that Icer jumped in alarm.

The room had a very old TV and three possibly even older couches, and currently occupying the couches were Invisibilly, Aqua, Howleen, Valentine and Valentina. Aqua glared at Icer when she saw him, and he glared back.

There was a bit of an awkward pause, until Heath cleared his throat. "So…has anyone come in yet?"

Valentine shook his head. "Nope. The only other person we've seen was that little girl."

Almost on cue, the door opened, and a plump, black haired, middle-aged woman stepped in. She looked around the room with beady, confused eyes before asking, "Has Ms. Pennywise come to see you yet?"

Invisibilly shook his head. "No, not yet."

Rather unexpectedly, the woman turned towards the hallway and screamed, " _CARLOTTA! GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE! THERE ARE PEOPLE HERE!_ "

Valentina stared at the woman in alarm before leaning into Howleen's neck. "She said a bad word, mommy."

Howleen did not respond, but let her mouth hang open in surprise when the woman muttered another curse word and lumbered out of the room.

Another door further down the hallway opened and then slammed shut, and after a few moments of silence, the same door opened and closed again. Footsteps were heard, and in walked a thin, red haired woman with ghostly pale skin and a withered cigarette clenched between her fingers. Her entire outfit was completely mismatched, with a ruffled red top, a green skirt and black and white leggings. Upon seeing the children, she quickly put her cigarette out and smiled, sweeping her hair out of her face.

"Morning," she greeted, batting her mascara coated lashes. "I'm Ms. Pennywise, but you can call me Carlotta. How do you do?"

"We're good, thanks," Heath tried to smile, but when Carlotta neared Icer, he immediately wanted to back away. She was horrible. Her teeth were a sickly yellow, her eyes were bloodshot, and a copious amount of cigarette smoke lingered on her breath. Icer buried his face into his mother's arm, refusing to look at the woman.

Carlotta grinned, pinching Icer's cheek with her freshly painted nails. "Aren't you cute? What's your name, sweetheart?"

Icer whimpered, looking to Abbey for help. Abbey glared at the woman, snorting a bit. "His name is Icer, and do not touch him."

Carlotta quirked an eyebrow at Abbey's voice. "What's with your accent? Are you, like, from Seattle or something?"

Abbey's expression did not change. "No. Am from Russia."

"Is that a real place?" Carlotta asked, scratching her head. "I thought it was made up."

Abbey pursed her lips together, her eyes narrowing. "No."

There was a pause, and Carlotta began to look around the room as if she had lost something. "Oh, shoot! I had a paper that had all your names on it. Ah…where did I put it?" she went to the door, sticking her head into the hallway and screaming, " _MURIEL! GET OVER HERE!_ "

Practically in an instant, the same young girl who had answered the door came shuffling over nervously. "Yes, ma'am?"

"Where's the paper I worked on last night?" when Muriel stared at her blankly, Carlotta rolled her eyes and pretended to knock on Muriel's forehead. "Hello!? Anybody home!? You know, that paper with the names on it!"

Muriel took a deep breath, silently going through her memories. "Oh, yeah. I think I know the one you mean. It's on your desk with your notebooks." She picked up a nearby broom and began to sweep, but stopped in her tracks when Carlotta cleared her throat.

"Go get it, Muriel."

With a sigh, Muriel set the broom on the floor and walked away. "Yes, of course."

She went into another room, and Carlotta sighed. "That's one of my foster kids. God, I love that girl. Anyway," she turned back to the guests. "What was I saying?"

On one of the couches, Valentine rubbed his temples and muttered under his breath, "I wanna get out of here….I wanna get out of here…"

"Daddy," Valentina spoke up. "Daddy, what's on your hand?"

Valentine looked down, and shrieked at the sight of a tiny termite running across his palm. He stood up quickly, shaking his hands wildly until he could longer see it. He then knelt down to check Valentina's head to make sure it hadn't landed in her hair.

"What was that, a termite?" Carlotta clicked her tongue, shaking her head. "Gotta watch out for those. We've had a lot of those lately. Also, watch out for Zompires. We haven't had those in a few years, but watch out."

"Zompires? What are those?" Howleen asked, feeling somewhat nervous.

Muriel returned, handing over a piece of greasy, loose leaf paper to Carlotta. "Here, ma'am."

Carlotta took the paper, giving Muriel a nod. "Thanks, baby. Now, go back to…whatever it was you were doing."

Muriel gave a curt nod and scuffled off, picking up the broom and continuing to sweep. Carlotta closed the door, looking down at the paper and chewing on her lip.

"'Kay…so, Valentina, Icer and Aqua are here to be whipped into shape, eh?" she suddenly pulled a rag from her pocket and hacked into it for an uncomfortably long amount of time. When she finished, she cleared her throat and put the soiled cloth back into her pocket. "Sorry about that. Anyway, the program is after school for about an hour, from 2:00 to 3:00. Your kids should be good in about a month. Any questions?"

"Yes," Heath raised his hand, quirking an eyebrow. "What exactly do you do?"

Carlotta suddenly fell silent. Her eyes darted quickly back and forth before she answered, "A good magician never reveals his tricks."

Suddenly, blood, sharp teeth, and claws flashed before Invisibilly's eyes. He heard screams and snarls and the pounding of feet. And then, it was over.

Invisi quivered, gasping and looking around frantically. This caught Heath's attention.

"Dude, you okay?"

"The Red Death!" Invisi blurted out.

All heads turned to him, and there was a hush. The sound of the door opening broke the quiet.

"Mom, I can't find Anne Marie," said a young man who poked his head in the doorway. He was also very thin, with long, curly black hair tied back in a ponytail.

"What do you mean you can't find her, Alex?" Carlotta inquired, sounding irritated. "You were the one keeping an eye on her!" Carlotta looked around at the people in room, and then she stepped out, closing the door behind her quietly. Muffled voices were heard, but nobody could make out specific words.

Invisibilly, however, kept thinking over and over about what had just flashed in his mind. He didn't know why it happened, but he knew one thing: something terrible was going to happen.

 **Hello, again!**

 **I got to finish this today because first off, I don't have practice tonight, and second off I got out early because of Homecoming! (Seriously: I went to school just for a pep rally and then I left. Don't worry, so did everyone else.)**

 **So, thoughts on the new characters in this chapter? What do you think of Carlotta? is she up to no good? What do you think Billy's vision was about? Give me your thoughts/theories, please!**

 **I'll see you next chapter, fellow monsters!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Red Death

 _Suggested track: Born To Die- Lana Del Rey_

The Die-ner was still as good as it always had been. The menu had received slight alterations due to the passage of six years, but the atmosphere was still friendly and the food was still wonderful. This time, however, Frankie sat alone in a booth with her baby son, watching as he eagerly drank down a bottle of milk.

"There you go, Jonathan," she cooed, setting the bottle down once he'd finished and propping him up on her shoulder while patting his back. "How was that? Was it nice?"

Jonathan squirmed a little, hiccupping on his mother's shoulder before relaxing and sighing. Frankie smiled, rubbing her son's back gently before murmuring, "You dream, you. You absolute little dream."

The door opened, and Jackson entered hurriedly. He wavered around waiters and waitresses before spotting Frankie and taking a seat.

"Hey," he greeted, giving her a kiss and stroking Jonathan's head. "Sorry I'm late."

"It's fine," Frankie smiled, rubbing his arm. Jackson smiled back, rubbing Jonathan's cheek with the back of his finger. His smile faded, and he turned to Frankie very seriously.

"Valentine came in earlier this week for a blood test, and I swiped a sample of his blood,"

"Are you supposed to do that?" asked Frankie, quirking an eyebrow.

Jackson chewed on his lip. "Well…not really, no. But, it was only a little and I think I should be fine. Anyway, I did some DNA testing and I discovered something," there was a pause, and Jackson sighed. "Anne Marie is definitely his daughter."

Frankie's eyes widened in surprise. "But…how!?"

"Draculaura told me Anne was the result of rape," Jackson explained. "And remember when Valentina was born? Didn't he say something about a social worker taking his baby? I think he did."

Frankie could not speak for a few moments. Finally, she managed to say, "Wow. Are you…gonna tell Valentine?"

Jackson shrugged, resting his chin on his hand. "I don't know. When he sees her, he'll want to take her, and I don't think he's allowed to do that. He doesn't even have full custody of Valentina, and that's not just because he and Howleen aren't together, but because of what happened six years ago. Remember how long it took him just to get custody of Valentina for five days!? I can't imagine the circus that'll happen when he tries to get Anne Marie for good." Jackson looked away, shaking his head. "It's ridiculous. Social services took away Anne Marie because of something Valentine was forced to do, and they put her in a different home, which was probably where she got molested. She was better off with Valentine."

Frankie stayed silent. She wanted to talk, but her feelings would not make themselves known to Jackson. It probably didn't matter, since both were most likely thinking the same things. If Jonathan ever got taken from them 'for the best', and he was horribly abused, both Frankie and Jackson would do anything to get him back. They'd even kidnap him, if worst came to worst.

The two turned to each other, and Jackson said softly, "I'll give him a call after lunch,"

Frankie smiled weakly, and the two shared a kiss.

Much farther away, in an older, run down part of town, the unfortunate group parents and children sat on dirty couches inside a miserable inn with Carlotta Pennywise, who was telling them stories of her adventures.

"…and, well, I saved the sheriff's life that day," Carlotta concluded matter-of-factly, sweeping the bright red hair from her face. "He sends me a card every year on my birthday."

"Uh huh, I'm sure," Invisibilly murmured, running his hand through the pale, blond hair of Aqua, who lay asleep on his lap. She had been sleeping for a few minutes, now, and her father knew very well that she was a heavy sleeper.

However, the sound of a blaring horn woke up the poor girl and got the attention of everyone else in the room. When the noise continued to persist, Carlotta stood up and went to the window, drawing back the thick, heavy curtains to look outside. "That's the emergency alarm. I wonder if another rapist got loose."

The door opened, and in stepped a man of about thirty. He had messy brown hair and a large scar stretching from his forehead to his left eye, which he appeared to be blind in.

"Carlotta, I think we should get your guests and all the kids to the basement," the man stated in a worried tone.

"Why, Mack? What's going on?"

"I heard people saying they saw zompires," Mack explained, glancing out the window nervously. "Come on, let's just get the kids and your friends and get to the basement."

Carlotta groaned, rolling her eyes. "Come on. I can handle a few zompires. Remember the time I-?"

Mack cleared his throat rather loudly, cutting her off. There was a pause, and Carlotta laughed nervously.

"Silly me. Well, then, you and Alex gather up the kids and I'll get everyone to the basement. And if this is a prank, then I guess I can just give our friends a tour of the basement,"

Mack gave a brisk nod and walked off, and Carlotta shooed everyone out of the room. "Come on, now, to the basement! Now, I'd like to give you some rules while we're down there,"

She opened up a door and each visitor filed in carefully. After they were downstairs, Carlotta pointed to a giant, stuffed bear sitting on a counter towards the back.

"See that bear? You aren't allowed to go past that bear. There's a little room, and you are _not_ permitted to go in there," her voice suddenly became very serious. "Do I make myself clear?" The answer came back as a 'yes', and Carlotta smiled. "Great."

The thumping of small, confused feet came trudging down the stairs, and in walked five children between the ages of three and ten. The youngest was a little moth boy who carried a plush rabbit and sucked his thumb, and the oldest was Muriel, the girl who had let them in. The other children were a set of twin unicorn girls and a boy who's species looked uncertain. He seemed to be a cross between a fire elemental and a rag doll.

Behind the children, the plump woman who had, earlier, called for Carlotta came down the stairs with Mack and Alex. As Alex shut the door behind him, the well-disciplined children began to amuse themselves with a stack of little games in a small cupboard nearby, all except for the little moth boy. He went to Mack right away, stretching his arms out in a polite way of asking to be picked up. Mack gladly scooped the child up, and Carlotta sneered at him.

"You spoil him, Mack. I am technically Fern's mother-well, foster mother- but just 'cause you found him in a dumpster doesn't make him yours!"

Mack seemed slightly hurt by this remark, but he did not express his feelings. Instead, he stroked his fingers through the little boy's soft fur and asked, "Did Ramona get her make up in your pillow-y hair?"

"Yes," Fern admitted calmly. "It happened accidently."

"Yeah, it's not my fault," the black haired woman spoke up, lighting a cigarette. "He made a big hoo-hah about being on my lap, and my eye powder got on his head," Ramona breathed in the smoke, and breathed it out again. "Little jerk."

Carlotta spotted the cigarettes, and reached for one. "Spare one, Ramona?"

Ramona handed her one, rolling her eyes. "Bring your own next time, sis."

Carlotta lit the cigarette, showing off a sharp tooth to Ramona. "Watch your mouth, you old wench."

Little Valentina watched this exchange, and then glanced towards the stuffed bear. Her eyes widened when she caught Icer sneaking towards it.

"Icer!"

Icer turned around as Valentina scampered towards him. she smacked him lightly on the back of the head. "What are you doing?" she whispered harshly. "Carlotta said not to be over here!"

"There's probably not even anything here!" Icer huffed, crossing his arms. "Whenever my mom tells someone new not to go in a room, it's because the room is messy. Ms. Pennywise probably didn't clean up her room."

Valentina couldn't argue with that idea. Her parents were both the same way whenever there were visitors, and they were grown-ups just like Carlotta. Whey shouldn't this be any different?

After some hesitation, Icer reached forward and gently pushed on the door. It was slightly ajar already, so with a soft creak, a section of the room was revealed to the children.

It was a dim room, and all the children could see was a very old, black and white TV that was playing some cartoons, and beside the TV was a fish tank. The cartoons caught Icer and and Valentina's attention for a few seconds, but a cough that sounded like it belonged to a little girl came from an unseen part of the room, and Icer and Valentina darted away quickly.

"What!?"

Valentina walked up to her father, cocking her head as she watched him talk on the phone.

"You think- you mean- oh, my God!" Valentine ran a hand through his dark hair, drawing a shuddery breath. "Is it really her?" he asked in a softer tone. There was a pause, and Valentine pressed his eyes shut and bit down on his lip. A tear rolled down his cheek, and he whispered, "Oh, my Annie. My sweet Annie."

Valentina tugged on her father's pant leg, giving him a confused look. "Daddy? Why are crying? are you sad?"

Valentine placed a hand on his daughter's head, drawing her close and nodded at what Jackson was saying on the other end. "I'll be right there," Valentine said finally, wiping his eyes. "Thank you for calling me." He hung up, and bent down to Valentina's level, giving her a kiss. "Everything's fine, darling. I'm not sad, I'm very happy."

Valentina did not understand this, but she gave her father a kiss nonetheless. Valentine smiled at her, and he started to walk up the stairs.

Carlotta spotted this instantly. "Where are you going!?"

"I'm leaving, I have to go," Valentine stated. "We haven't heard anything, so whatever the siren was about probably was a prank or a false alarm-!" he opened up the door at this moment, and found himself faced with a hideous creature.

'Zompire' was definitely a good name for this abomination. It was horribly ugly, with the fangs of a vampire and the flesh of a zombie. However, unlike either species, the creature made a loud shrieking sound and went straight for Valentine's eyes with sharp claws. Unfortunately for the zompire, Carlotta suddenly appeared.

She threw Valentine down the steps with great force and grabbed the zompire around the neck, screaming, " _YOU UGLY LITTLE BASTARDS, YOU! GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!_ "

Everyone else present didn't quite know what it was they saw at that moment. All they saw was Carlotta's hands swooping wildly, blood spurting down on the steps and on the wall, and numerous amounts of the zompire's teeth flying out on the basement floor. It all happened so fast that the zompire made no sound when it was torn to shreds. All that was left was a hunk of bloodied, rotten flesh at Carlotta's feet, and she spit on the corpse. She turned around, blood dripping from her fingernails and down her chin.

She took a moment to catch her breath, and she stepped over what was left of the zompire and looked back in the upstairs room. Carlotta stayed still for a few moments, then she slowly ascended up the steps. She disappeared upstairs, then she called, "Well, they're gone, now. I think that was the last of them."

Heath, who was very alarmed by what he had just seen, walked up the steps too, and gasped at what he saw out the upstairs window.

"Oh, my God," he muttered in awe, his mouth falling open.

That old part of town, the one usually filled with just older residents and little shops, was demolished and blood-stained.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Telekinetic Café Surprise

 _Suggested track: Elastic Heart- Sia (piano version)_

It was a disaster.

There were very few survivors, and they trickled into the damaged streets, just silently tallying the damage. Soon after, cries of despair rose into the atmosphere.

Heath could do nothing but stare. He'd never seen this much destruction since Napoleon's purge.

Icer grabbed on his father's pant leg, looking out at the aftermath and catching the sight of a mutilated body of a woman lying in the street. He shrieked in horror at the corpse, turning and running to the comfort of his mother's arms.

Carlotta saw this, and demanded, "Keep the kids inside!" Slowly, she turned back to the streets, walking cautiously while observing the devastation. Car windows were smashed, torn bodies such as the woman Icer had seen languished on the road, and the hope they'd died with scattered here and there.

Invisibilly knelt down beside the body of a teenage girl, gently touching her forehead with the tips of his fingers. After a few moments, he gasped, pushing her up into a sitting position. She wasn't quite dead.

"Hey," he whispered, smacking her cheek softly. "Wake up, are you okay?"

She opened her eyes just a crack. They were glassy and runny. "Th…the…" she swallowed, closing her eyes again. "The zompires…oh, God, not the zompires!" she began to cry, and an older woman walked over and helped the girl up.

"Come on, it's okay, Greta," the woman murmured, patting her back and leading her away.

Heath noticed Alex standing over one of the bodies, and he took this moment to approach.

"Alex, right?"

Alex looked up, nodding, his black curls bouncing. "Yes, that's me." He was very feminine for a male, with a thin build and sharp jawline. If one was to glance at him from behind, he'd look just like a woman.

"What are zompires?" Heath asked, quirking an eyebrow.

Alex sighed, crossing his arms and looking away. "They seem like they should be just what they sound like: a cross between a vampire and a zombie. But, they're so aggressive! If they don't eat their victims, they kill them. If they don't kill them, they rape them. Sometimes they do all three."

Heath turned to where that girl, Greta, was being led away, and he shuddered.

Suddenly, the voices of Mack and Carlotta broke out into a sudden quarrel. Nobody else witnessed exactly how the argument started, but it was clear that they weren't arguing over a small thing.

"Do you know what you are, Carlotta!?" Mack shouted, stalking behind her as she tried to walk away from him. "You're a skank! An ugly, stupid skank! You're even uglier than IT itself!"

Carlotta whipped around, sticking her chin out and daring him to say more. "You will _NOT_ say that name, Mack!"

"I can say anything I want!" Mack retorted, getting in her face. "IT! IT ! IT! IT-!"

Carlotta cut him off by swiping her long nails across his face, cutting his skin and drawing blood. " _SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH, MACK!_ "

Mack went silent quickly, touching his bloodied cheek and searching for words. After a few moments, he abruptly began to cry, much to the shock of those watching. Carlotta watched him cry, then she put an arm around him and pressed her lips against his. Mack didn't kiss back, but he did reach a hand up and run his fingers through her hair before turning and walking off.

Carlotta blew him a kiss as he went back inside the building. "I love you, darling."

Mack stopped in the doorway, looking back and nodding at her before disappearing inside.

The group of parents relocated much farther away at a little café, just to steady their thoughts and calm their children down.

Valentina had never felt so scared in her six years of life. She hid in the crook of Howleen's arm, listening as her father ranted about what had just happened.

"I can't believe Mrs. Haunter sent us to…that place!" Valentine shook his head, still feeling shaken up. "Has she ever met Carlotta in person!?"

They are probably friends," Abbey shrugged, resting her chin on Icer's head. "Both are stupid old hags."

"Carlotta really scares me," Heath admitted. "Did you see what she did to Mack!? I don't think we should send the kids to her place."

There was a clatter, and Valentina gasped. "Oops! Sorry, mommy." Howleen looked down, seeing Valentina had just spilled her juice.

"That's okay, Tina," Howleen assured, getting up. "I'll go get some napkins,"

"No, I'll get some," Invisibilly offered, motioning for Howleen to sit. He got up and turned to Aqua, smoothing her hair down. "Okay, stay here, princess," he said softly, brushing her cheek and walking away.

He went to the napkin dispenser, pulling out a few napkins and beginning to walk back to the table. However, something caught his attention.

It was a TV up on the wall that was playing some cartoons. Little animals smiled at each other, dancing and waving their hands while singing in an unknown language. Chinese characters flashed on the screen, along with smiling faces and cute music.

Invisi just watched with an open mouth. The muscles in his fingers relaxed, dropping the napkins on the floor. He heard his heartbeat in his ears, his lips parted and he uttered just one word:

" _Serenity._ "

He turned around slowly. Time had frozen, and he saw the others at the table. Howleen was in the middle of saying something while sopping up the spilled juice with tissues from her bag. Valentine was showing Valentina and Aqua something on his phone, and Heath was grasping Abbey's hand in his own while Icer lay across his lap.

Invisibilly continued to scan the café, looking at some of the other customers. There was a young couple in the corner, and as the girl turned away to watch the cartoons, her boyfriend poured something from a little black bottle into her drink. Farther away, a young waiter stared in horror at the tray he'd dropped, unsure of what to do.

Watching all this, Invisi reached up and quietly pulled down the zipper of his jacket, letting it fall to the floor. Slowly, he walked towards the TV and reached up towards it. He curled his hand into a fist, and the screen shattered.

Somebody grabbed his arm, but he threw them back. He flung his arms in a sweeping motion, and the empty chairs and tables around him screeched across the floor.

Screams filled the room as customers ran around aimlessly and stared in shock at what they were seeing. Other things around the café begin to move, like the glasses that dropped off the counter one by one and shattered on the floor and the window that opened and then slammed shut again.

Aqua gaped at her father, amazed. She'd never seen him do this, and she was a little scared.

Heath finally got the courage to run up to Invisi and grab him by the arm. "Hey, man, calm down!" Heath had no idea what was happening, but he was sure Invisi had something to do with it.

Invisibilly threw his arm out and knocked Heath to the floor without even touching him, and gave him such a glare that Heath was convinced that Invisi had once killed a man.

A hush fell over the café as everyone waited for what Invisibilly would do next. He looked at all of them through wide, gray eyes, and suddenly let out a blood curdling scream. Light bulbs in the ceiling popped and sent shards of glass everywhere, and books fell rapidly from the bookshelf and on the floor.

The customers began to shriek again, and most of them fled from the building. Heath stood up quickly, rushing back to the table and grabbing Abbey by the hand while scooping up Icer. He tried to get Aqua, too, but she dashed away to her father.

Aqua clung to Invisibilly's leg, looking up at him through teary, scared eyes. "Daddy, stop it! Please, stop it!"

Invisi's hands dropped to his side, and he breathed a soft breath. He looked down at Aqua, who was sobbing into his pant leg. Invisi dropped to his knees, picking Aqua up and cradling her in his arms. He said nothing as he left the café with his little daughter, stroking her hair and nuzzling her tenderly.

The door closed behind him, Abbey whispered, "I have seen this power before."

 **So, here I am, writing this chapter at my computer desk with a mountain of tissues while covered in menthol rub…if you don't what I mean by this, I have a bad cold. Worst part: I'm still going to rehearsal tonight and I'll probably get my other cast members sick (well, most of them have colds already, but still)**

 **Speaking of my show, "The Craving" will be performed October 16** **th** **and 17** **th** **! If you want details just in case you may live around my area, PM me so you may come watch and, if you stick around, meet me at the end. If you don't live in upstate New York, scenes from the show may or may not be posted on Youtube, we'll have to see.**

 **In regards to this story, what did you think of this chapter? Why do you think Invisibilly went on that rampage? Can Carlotta be trusted? Do you have any predictions on what might happen next? Let me know in your review.**

 **Until next time, my fellow monstes!**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: A Shattered Secret and A Sweet Reunion

 _Suggested Track: Bleed (I must Be Dreaming)- Evanescence_

 **Warning: This chapter contains some foul language and disturbing content (specifically child abuse). Viewer discretion is advised**

Heath caught Invisibilly several minutes after the rampage he'd caused. Invisi was in the parking lot helping his daughter into their car when Heath approached.

"You picked a bad minute to be seen, you freak," Heath growled, crossing his arms. Invisi stopped what he was doing and turned to Heath, looking annoyed.

"Excuse me? Did you just call me a freak?" He snorted. "That's funny, coming from a fire elemental."

Heath suddenly grabbed Invisibilly by the collar of his shirt, his amber eyes burning into Invisi's gray ones. "Shut your damn mouth! Innocent people could've been killed just now! What were you thinking?!" He released his grip just a bit, drawing a breath. "No, the better question is: what were you doing?"

Invisibilly looked away, chewing on his lip. "It's a secret."

"Don't keep secrets from me, Billy."

"Fine," Invisi turned back to Heath, clapping a hand on the back of his neck. "Here's a secret of mine, then," He leaned into Heath's ear and whispered something that would never be forgotten. "I killed your dad, Heath. I killed Hawking."

He pulled away, observing the expression Heath wore. Heath's eyes were wide and his mouth hung open, staring off into space as he recovered from what he'd just heard.

After some silence, Invisi said softly, "I'm sorry," and he climbed into his car and drove off a few minutes later.

Heath stood there alone, taking a deep breath. The old wound had been reopened, and the anguish from the day of his father's death returned. He felt tightness in his throat as he remembered the way his father looked when he'd died: terrified, blood stained and mutilated. Invisibilly had really done that to him? He had been to one to rip the hole in the hearts of Heath and his mother while the abrasions from Harmony's death were still fresh?

While he pondered these things, Abbey approached while holding Icer. "We should leave," she told Heath. However, he did not respond. Abbey realized something was wrong, and she rubbed his shoulder. "Heath?"

At this contact, Heath burst into tears, surprising his wife and son. Icer had never seen his father cry before, and the sight made him start to cry, too.

Abbey just stood there in alarm, watching as her two boys cried for a solid minute. Finally, she clapped her hand on Heath's shoulder, pulling him towards her car along with Icer. "Come! Stop crying and let us go home!"

They finally made it to the car, and Abbey drove. It wasn't until they stopped at a red light that Abbey began to comfort her husband.

"Why do you cry, Heath?" she asked gently, wrapping her hand around his. "Why do you cry, my dear? I do not like seeing you upset."

Haeth's tears had calmed by now, but he kept sniffling and dabbing at his eyes. He found himself unable to tell Abbey what he had just learned, yet he kept replaying Invisi's words over and over again in his mind, and anger began to well up inside him. He dropped the tissue on the floor, heating up with rage.

"Invisibilly's a little bitch," he muttered, glaring at his shoes. "He's a Goddamn motherfucking lunatic."

Abbey's eyes widened at the language he was using. "What!?"

"You heard me!" Heath snapped, snatching Abbey's wrist off the steering wheel. "Did I fucking stutter!?"

Abbey pulled over to the side of the road, slamming down on the breaks and slapping Heath in the face. " _YOU DO NOT TALK TO ME THAT WAY!_ " She screamed, grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him. " _UNDERSTAND ME!? I AM BOSS, NOT YOU!_ "

Icer just stared at his parents in complete shock. They almost never fought, and when they did, it was usually just a little disagreement. Yet, here they were, yelling like they hated one another.

" _SHUT UP, ABBEY! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO TALK!_ "

Abbey slapped him once again, screaming, " _GET OUT! YOU WALK HOME!_ "

Without any hesitation, Heath unbuckled his seatbelt and jumped out, walking away from the car. Rather than walking on the side of the road, he disappeared into the thick woods. When he was out of sight, Abbey began to drive once again, her hands trembling as she did so.

"Mom?" Icer asked, his voice quivering. "Where's dad going?"

Abbey did not answer. She just bit down on her lip, trying to focus on the road ahead as tears blurred her vision.

Trudging through the thick woods, Heath could feel nothing but fury. He hated everybody and everything, and he wanted nothing more than to kill Invisibilly.

"You're going to die, Billy," he muttered, clenching his fist to his side as he went deeper and deeper into the woods. "You're going to die."

It was about 5:00 in the evening when Valentine arrived at the hospital alone. It turned out he indeed had Valentina for the weekend, so he left her with Vampira and was now sitting in the waiting room waiting for Jackson to arrive. Valentine felt a strange excitement inside him as he eagerly glanced towards the door every few minutes. He was going to see Anne Marie for the first time in six years.

 _What does she look like now?_ He wondered, wringing his hands. _Is she all right? Where has she been all this time?_

He took a deep breath and tried to relax when he felt his heart thumping in his chest like a tennis ball in a dryer. Too much excitement or fear could possibly cause a heart attack, and he had run out of his pills that morning. When he was face to face with that zompire, he nearly went into cardiac arrest. Though, after taking several deep breaths, he slightly calmed and his heart began to beat normally.

"Kieran Valentine?" A feminine voice called from the doorway, and Valentine sprang up right away. Quietly, the nurse led him to an elevator, and it was there that she parted ways with him.

"Floor three, room sixty five," she told him before leaving.

The elevator ride felt painfully long to poor Valentine, and he had to keep himself from running when arrived at the third floor. The hallway was practically empty, and leaning up against the wall looking at his phone was Jackson.

"Jackson!" Valentine called his voice shaky and somewhat strained.

Jackson looked up, motioning for him to come. "There you are! Don't be too loud, there are some patients sleeping."

"Is Anne Marie asleep?" Valentine asked, trying to reach behind Jackson to enter the room with the '65' printed on the door. Jackson, however, prevented him from opening the door.

"Hang on, Kieran. Before you see her, you need to know something," Jackson looked up into the eyes of the anxious parent, phrasing his next sentence carefully. "Your daughter was previously in a…an abusive home. Damage has been done to her, and it's left a big mark on her behavior. She's very uneasy and has difficulty trusting people. When you go in, please be careful around her."

Valentine nodded. "Of course. I'll…I'll be calm." Jackson moved away from the door, gesturing for Valentine to enter. Swallowing hard, Valentine gripped the door handle, looking at Jackson before entering the room. "Thank you Jackson. I mean that, I really mean that."

Very cautiously, he entered the room, barely making a sound. The little girl sitting on the bed did not see or hear him enter and just continued to eat her cheese and crackers while watching cartoons. Valentine watched her for a few moments before clearing his throat. "Anne Marie?"

She jumped at the sound of her name, spilling the plate of cheese and crackers on the bed. Valentine got a bit closer to her, hesitantly reaching a hand towards her head. "Oh, no, I'm sorry," He said tenderly. "I didn't mean to scare you, darling. My name is Kieran Valentine. And you're Anne Marie?"

Anne Marie's eyes widened at the sound of this stranger's name. She nodded slowly, and then she asked in a very timid voice, "Y-you're Kieran V-Valentine?"

Valentine nodded, sitting on the bed with her, though she'd moved a short distance away from him. "That's me," Valentine smiled, holding back his emotion. "You know my name?"

Anne Marie stared at him for a few moments, studying every aspect of his features before inquiring, "You're not a girl?"

Valentine was very confused. "What?"

"My foster sister's name is Muriel, and she said you were my mommy because she read a paper that had a bunch of stuff about me," Anne explained, cocking her head to the side. "Mommies are girls, right?"

"W-well…" Valentine chewed on his lip. He hadn't previously considered that he would have to explain what happened. Finally, he thought of a delicate explanation. "You can call me your Papa. I'm a boy, yes, but I had you like a mother would." He pulled out his phone, opening up his photos and pulling out a photograph he'd had for six years. "This is you when you were born."

Anne Marie stared at the picture curiously, studying it. "Why am I in a box?"

"You were born a little too early," Valentine explained, looking at the photograph and then at his daughter. The resemblance was striking; it was definitely her. "You didn't get enough time to grow, so you were very cold and the doctors had to put you in a special box to keep you warm."

"I was born early?" she asked, very intrigued.

"Oh, yes. You weighed two pounds!"

She grinned, throwing her skinny arms in the air enthusiastically. "Now I weigh forty eight pounds!"

Valentine chuckled, leaning in to kiss her. But when he did this, she backed away a little. Valentine's smiled faded, and his shoulders slumped. "Oh…I'm sorry, dear."

Anne Marie was quiet, then she scooted a little closer to him. "Do you have any more pictures of me?"

"Oh, yes, lots," He smiled, scrolling through more pictures. As each one went by, Anne's smile widened and after a few moments, she leaned against his shoulder. Valentine saw this, and he blinked back his tears. "You got so gosh darn pretty," he whispered, running a hand through her slick, dark hair. She twitched a bit when he did this, but she did not leave his side.

"Who's my daddy?" she asked suddenly, and Valentine froze. He swallowed nervously, looking down at her.

"Your daddy is…well, was, a terrible, evil man." He sighed, watching as she looked up in alarm. "He's dead now, but when he was alive, he did awful things to innocent people, and he hurt me. He hurt me very badly."

Anne Marie let this soak in, and then she said something that shocked Valentine. "Did he shag you?"

Valentine's mouth fell open, and he was at a loss for words. "What!?" was all he could manage after a few moments.

"He shagged you, didn't he?" She looked up at him sympathetically, patting his shoulder. "It's okay, I got shagged, too."

" _WHAT!?_ " Valentine said exclaimed again, this time louder and sharply pitched.

"Whenever I was bad, foster mom would put me in a room with a TV and a fish tank, and then a guy would come and do all this stuff to me," Anne explained casually. "And then foster mom would give him money and he'd leave. But, couple'a days ago, this one guy did it so hard that there was blood. He bit my ear, too-!"

"Stop!" Valentine shrieked suddenly, cutting her off. He was on the verge of tears. "Please, I don't wanna hear it!" their eyes met, and he gathered her in her arms, beginning to sob. "Oh, my baby!" he choked out, pressing his nose into her hair. "Oh, my poor baby! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry for _everything!_ "

Anne Marie wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her head on his shoulder. "It's okay, Papa. I'm okay, now."

But was she?


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Jessica Parker

 _Suggested Track: Better Than I- Joy Williams_

The soft, old music of the hotel bar made little effect on Heath as he brought the bottle to his lips, swallowing down a good amount of beer and making a face. He hated beer, but he knew enough of it would get him drunk enough to forget the events of that day. He wanted to forget everything: fighting with Abbey, seeing the pained look on his son's face, watching the aftermath of zompires and the feeling that he'd just failed everyone he loved. He wanted to forget everything except for what Invisibilly had revealed.

Heath took another swig, wiping the tears from his eyes as he silently plotted his revenge. He wanted to make that invisible freak pay for what he'd done, and hurt him just like Heath himself had been hurt.

"Gonna make him pay," Heath muttered, sniffling. "Gonna make him pay…"

The bartender didn't ask what was wrong. Instead, she just gave him nervous glances while tending to other customers who were there to have a good time rather than cry while plotting vengeance.

Heath polished off the bottle, setting it down and letting more tears roll down his cheeks. Usually, it felt good to cry, but this didn't feel good or satisfying. His head hurt, his eyes stung, and nausea was beginning to settle in as his body tried to adjust to the alcohol he rarely put in it.

He sniffled again, clearing his throat. He tried to get the bartender's attention so he could order another beer, but somebody walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Heath? Is that you?" a gentle voice belonging to an older woman asked. "Well, aren't I silly- of course it's you! I'd recognize that handsome face anywhere. My, you've really grown up!"

Heath quickly tried to dry his tears, turning to this woman and quirking an eyebrow. She looked very familiar, with long ribbons of fading blond hair cascading down her shoulders and lovely green eyes. Heath couldn't help but feel as though he knew her, though he said nothing.

The woman sat down beside him, rubbing his shoulder and looking at him sympathetically. "Now, what's wrong, dear? What's troubling you?" When there still seemed to be no recognition, she introduced herself. "It's me, Jessica Parker."

Heath's confusion quickly turned to surprise upon hearing this. Jessica Parker was the mother of Jared and Sophie, the two people responsible for the death of Heath's sister, Harmony. Years ago, Jessica and her husband, Cameron, had tried to press charges against Heath and his friends for the deaths of their two children, but the jury ruled that the deaths had been well deserved because of Jared and Sophie's actions and charges were dropped. At the time of the trial, Heath recalled Jessica getting so upset that she actually shouted at himself and his friends, _"They weren't murderers in my eyes! They were my children and you took them from me, and I will never forgive you for that!"_

Yet, here she was, the woman who once had the audacity to call Heath evil, sitting at a hotel bar offering comfort to somebody who caused her so much pain.

Jessica pulled a tissue from her silver pocketbook and offered it to Heath, and he gratefully took it. After wiping his eyes, he asked, "W-why did you want to talk to me?"

"Because you're upset," Jessica explained, smiling kindly. "And I want to know what's wrong."

Heath took a deep breath, and promptly spilled out everything to her: about Carlotta, about the zompires, Invisibilly's rampage, learning who had killed his father, and then walking away from the people who needed him most. Jessica just listened intently, and when Heath finished, she took his hand in hers.

"You poor, poor, thing," she rubbed his hand tenderly. "That had to have been so difficult for you. But revenge is not the answer."

"Why not?" Heath inquired bitterly, crossing his arms and glaring at Jessica. "Is somebody still sore about their kids getting what they deserved?"

The moment Heath said it, he instantly regretted it. Jessica's face fell, and she looked very hurt. After taking a deep breath, she said, "No, that's not why I said that. You see, Heath- after the death of my children, I felt very bitter towards you and your friends," she looked away, staring remorsefully into her memory. "I even wished you death sometimes. I just couldn't comprehend that Jared and Sophie could do something so awful to innocent people. They were…they were my babies," her voice broke, and she paused for a moment. After composing herself, she continued. "They were just my sweet little kids, and my love for them was just so unconditional that when I learned what they'd done, I couldn't accept it." she sighed, turning back to Heath with moist eyes. "But, time healed everything and now I realize that justice had indeed been served. I know now that my children weren't the saints I thought they were."

She took the locket around her neck, opening it up and looking inside at the photograph of her beloved children. She showed Heath the sweet photograph of Jared and Sophie as small children, and Heath's eyes widened in surprise. They had been adorable little children, so sweet and innocent. And yet they were the ones to extinguish the lives of Harmony and Growler.

"They've been cremated, these two," Jessica smiled weakly, tears rolling down her cheeks. "They're on my makeup table, and I talk to them whenever I get ready in the morning. I always tell them how much I love them every day; I tell Jared about what the actors from his former acting troupe are doing now and I tell Sophie how lovely she is, both things I know they'd like to hear."

As Jessica continued to talk, Heath felt a terrible feeling rise up inside him. He and his friends had been the ones to hurt this poor woman so deeply. She felt the same pain Heath's parents had faced: the pain of losing cherished children. For Merida and Hawking, it was their beautiful, clever daughter, but for Jessica and Cameron, it was both their children. The anguish had been too much for Cameron to bear, as he quickly turned to a life of drinking and gambling after losing Jared and Sophie. And now, he'd left Jessica alone to pick up the pieces of her broken heart.

"Why?" Heath asked suddenly.

Jessica cocked her head to the side. "What?"

"Why aren't you still angry with me? If I were you, I'd never forgive something like that."

"Oh, but Heath," she gave his hand a squeeze. "It's no use holding on to bitter feelings. I love my children, but I've let go of what happened. I forgive you, dear. I forgive you and your friends with all my heart, since I know why you did what you did. I've forgiven Jared and Sophie too, and, while you don't have to, if you forgave Jared and Sophie, it would mean a lot to me. But you don't have to." She then gave him a hug, and Heath appreciatively hugged her back.

He breathed a shaky breath, knowing now what he had to do. He began to struggle within himself. While forgiving his father's killer was the right thing to do, Invisibilly had never really been punished. Jared and Sophie had gotten what they deserved, but Invisibilly never had. Was it really right to forgive this serious transgression?

After the hug was over and done with, Jessica wanted to know more about Heath. The two relocated to the lounge area with some coffee, and Heath began to show Jessica some pictures of Icer from his wallet.

Jessica couldn't help but fuss. "Oh, what a sweet little boy he is! He looks just like you, Heath."

Heath smiled. "Thank you." He looked at his little boy's smiling face, and with a pang of sadness wondered if Icer was worried about him. He probably was following his mother around, asking if they could call Heath on the phone.

After a few minutes, Jessica bid Heath goodbye and went back to her room. Before she left, she hugged him again and whispered, "Don't forget that you saw me, Heath."

 **Sorry if this chapter made you cry. I nearly cried while writing it, so I don't blame you. And sorry it's short- next chapter will be longer and more eventful, I promise.**

 **Anyway, thoughts on this chapter? Do you think Heath will change his opinion about killing Invisibilly now that he's talked with Jessica? Do you think Invisibilly deserves punishment? Will Heath find the strength that Jessica did and forgive Billy? Please give me your thoughts!**

 **Until next chapter, fellow monsters! (don't cry, now.)**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Plastic Surgery and Norwegian Royalty

 _Suggested track: Elastic Heart-Sia (music video version)_

"How old is she?"

"About your age. Older than you, though."

Valentina fiddled with the paper in her hands, excitement flowing through her young body as Valentine answered every question she asked.

"Does she like to draw?" Valentina inquired, looking back down at the drawing she'd made of Cherry, her pet hamster.

"I don't know, darling. I didn't ask." Valentine turned around in his seat, smiling at his daughter fondly.

Valentina smiled back, but her smile faded and she soon looked somewhat worried. "Will she like me?"

"Valentina," This time, Vampira, who was in the passenger seat answered. "She'll love you. I'm sure your sister will be delighted to see you."

They pulled into the hospital parking lot, and soon after, they entered the building.

In the waiting room, Vampira amused Valentina with some coloring books and a few puzzles while Valentine watched.

It wasn't long before someone else in the waiting room caught Valentine's eye, and he turned around immediately. Sitting a few chairs away from him was Alex, Carlotta's son. He was flipping through a pamphlet that was titled, " _Changing You_ : _A Plastic Surgery Guide_ " while occasionally glancing up at the TV hanging on the wall. Valentine, at first, did not want to confront him, but Alex noticed the vampire and waved at him somewhat awkwardly. There was a silence, and Valentine got up to talk to him.

"How's the town after the zompire attack?" Valentine asked, sitting beside the young man.

Alex sighed, setting his pamphlet down. "Not good. I'm trying to get more money to help those in need, like our neighbor, Greta. But I'm coming up short."

Hearing this made Valentine a little suspicious. "You don't have enough?" He eyed the pamphlet, and Alex saw him do it. Quickly, he picked the paper up and held it to his chest defensively.

"I've been saving up money for a long time for this," Alex explained quietly, looking away. "I really need this, and I've waited too long."

"Are you getting the surgery today?" Valentine inquired.

"Yes."

"You're gonna do it all by yourself?"

"Well…" Alex chewed on his lip nervously. "See- my mom can't know that I'm here. She wouldn't understand why I'm doing this. I tried to tell my aunt, Ramona, but she couldn't really grasp what I was trying to say."

Valentine simply nodded. "I see," he didn't ask why Alex was getting the surgery, though he had a good idea of what the reason might be. His painted nails and slightly filled out chest suggested what this procedure might be for.

After an uncomfortable hush, Valentine felt compelled to ask, "What is it your mother does for a living?"

Alex quirked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"She can't be making money off of her day care business. Is there something else she does?"

Valentine's theory was then confirmed when Alex could not meet his eyes. "T-there's…something else, but I can't tell you. I'm sworn to secrecy, sorry."

Valentine simply nodded. "All right," he said in a hushed voice. Alex looked back up, his eyes full of concern.

"But do yourself and your daughter a favor: don't send her to The Lovely Gutter. I'm not even supposed to be making you avoid our home, so if you see my mom, don't tell her you talked to me!"

"Kieran Valentine?" a sing-song voice asked, and Valentine stood up.

"Thank you for speaking me, Alex," Valentine said in a low voice, walking away.

"Please," the young boy said suddenly, making Valentine stop in his tracks. "Call me Alexandra."

Valentine turned back and forced a smile, then turned away again and followed the nurse.

Valentina bounced excitedly as Valentine led her and Vampira down the hallway to Anne Marie's room and stopped in front of the door. He reached forward, turning the handle and opening with a click.

"Hey, Annie," Valentine called out as they walked in, and Anne Marie sprung up right away and threw her little arms around Valentine.

"Hi, Papa!" she grinned, showing off her pearly fangs. She pulled away, and then she noticed the other visitors. She clung to Valentine shyly, and he ruffled her hair gently.

"It's okay, Anne," he assured tenderly. "This is your grandmother, Vampira, and this is your sister, Valentina."

Vampira went to Anne Marie, resting a finger beneath the girl's chin and tipping her face towards her to really look her over. "Oh, you're so beautiful!" Vampira crooned, her eyes welling with tears. It seemed so long since she had first seen Anne Marie as a tiny, sickly baby with a small chance of survival. Now, here she was: a smiling, wide eyed little girl.

Vampira kissed her forehead and hugged her close. "The last time I saw you, you were just a little baby."

Anne Marie just hugged her back, resting her cheek on her shoulder. Vampira soon pulled away, rubbing the girl's arm lovingly.

Valentina took this moment to approach, holding out the drawing of the hamster to her sister.

"This is a picture I drew," Valentina said timidly. Now that she was face to face with her sister, she felt nervous. "It's of Cherry, my hamster. I got her for Christmas last year."

Anne Marie examined the picture, and asked, "Does she bite?"

"No, she nips," Valentina held up her finger, showing a little cut. "See?"

As the two sisters discussed Cherry, Valentine watched with a warm smile. Vamipra put an arm around her son and whispered, "See? I told you everything would be just fine."

It was currently 11:56.

Heath's eyes fluttered open sleepily, groaning a little as he awoke to an unpleasant feeling of nausea. He sat up, trying to settle his upset stomach by pressing his eyes shut and taking several deep breaths. It didn't help, and he shuffled away quickly to the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.

After vomiting for a solid two minutes, Heath wiped his mouth with a shaky hand and leaned against the wall, composing himself. Opening his eyes again, he took this moment to take in the surroundings.

He was still at the hotel, judging by the white towels and little packages of soap covering the sink. Heath thought back on the previous events of the night before, realizing that he remembered very little. The last thing he remembered was speaking with Jessica, but then nothing else.

Feeling numb, he discarded the clothing he was wearing (which was just his boxers and his socks)and turned on the shower. Panic flashed through him when he looked down at his boxers and noticed a suspicious stain.

"Jesus Christ, what did I do last night!?" Heath wondered aloud, and then he looked down and noticed a hickey on the inner part of his thigh. Without hesitation, he leapt in the shower, snatching up a bar of soap and cleaning himself furiously, trying to wash away the sin. Anxious thoughts flashed through his mind as he washed the soap over his skin, the heat of his flesh wearing the soap to basically nothing.

"Oh, my God…oh, my God!" he sobbed, dropping to his knees and letting what was left of the soap fall to the ground. "Oh, what have I done!?" Abbey would never forgive him if she knew what had happened, though Heath himself didn't know what happened. All he knew was that he'd betrayed his family.

About an hour later, Heath sat in the dining area of the hotel, sipping on a cup of coffee. He wished this was all a dream, that he'd wake up beside Abbey like nothing had ever happened and go about his life. Alas, here he was, wearing a shirt that smelled like sweat and drinking cheap coffee. He felt as though it couldn't get any worse.

Just then, a woman walked by, and she caught Heath's attention. She looked very familiar, but Heath just couldn't think of who she might be. It wasn't until she swept a magnificent braid of bright, blonde hair that Heath realized she was Invisibilly's wife.

A red haired woman approached her, and the two began to chat. Heath watched for a moment, then called over a maid that was sweeping the floor nearby.

"Excuse me, could you please tell me who that woman is?" Heath asked politely, gesturing to the two women. The maid raised an eyebrow.

"Which one?"

"The blonde one."

"Oh, her? That's Elsa Jalonskya. She's Norwegian royalty, and she's very rich. Though, she got married a few years back, and I think she has a different last name," the maid began sweeping the floor again. "She lives up at the East manor with her husband and kid."

Heath watched as Elsa turned away and went to the elevator. He knew where East Manor was- it was where Jared and Harmony had originally been planning to live after they'd married. Though that plan never came to be, Heath had visited the house a few times and knew where it was.

And now, he knew where Invisibilly lived.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Vengeance

 _Suggested track: Chandelier-Sia (Madilyn Bailey Cover)_

The swish of cars speeding through rain puddles on the highway created a background noise as Heath trudged along. His feet hurt and his back ached, and the throbbing migraine wasn't helping, either.

However, he pressed on. East Manor was very close, judging by what he remembered. He realized it was very near when he noticed a giant boulder lying on the wet grass, something he remembered.

After walking for a few more minutes, he arrived. It was a magnificent house, a castle, really, with neatly trimmed bushes and a beautiful courtyard. Yet Heath took no time to appreciate its beauty and instead went around to the back of the house, looking for a back door he could sneak into.

He happened upon a back door, but it soon become apparent that sneaking through this door would be no challenge. The door was wide open, and nearby stood two women who were clearly maids. They were in a heated argument over what appeared to be a crate of vegetables.

"Are you crazy!?" the younger woman shouted, snatching up some limp carrots and potatoes. "These vegetables are nasty and bad!"

"You are wimp!" the older woman snapped. She spoke in an accent just like Abbey's. "They are just few days old!"

"Well, they look like a fat guy peed on them!"

As the maids bickered, Heath took this moment to slip in quietly through the back door. H

The lights were dim as Heath crept through the kitchen, being completely silent. Light from a window glittered off a carving knife lying near the sink, and it caught Heath's attention. Hands trembling, he grasped the knife firmly in his palm and managed to make his way out of the kitchen without alerting anyone.

Heath walked past two large doors and into a living room. The TV was on, blaring boring news reports that no one cared about and making unnecessary comments. Heath glanced at the couch lying before him, seeing Invisibilly sleeping there, his chest rising and falling with each breath. Squeezing the knife's handle, Heath moved closer and prepared to strike.

Slowly, his hand rose, shaking still as he held the knife above the Invisible man, who chose the wrong time to stay visible. Heath sucked in a deep breath, and rose his hand up higher for a better blow. Yet, suddenly, there was a sound, a little squeak. Heath looked down and realized that Aqua was there, too, curled up near her father's shoulder. She moved around in her sleep, her little chin coming to rest on Invisi's left bosom, right where Heath was going to stab.

Heath stopped what he was doing and began to think. If he killed Invisi, Aqua would awaken to find him dead or dying. A six year old girl, waking up next to the corpse of her father in a dark living room, with nothing at the moment but a TV to comfort her. Was it worth the death of Hawking?

At this moment, Heath suddenly remembered what Jessica had said: " _It's no use holding on to bitter feelings. I love my children, but I've let go of what happened. I forgive you, dear."_

That one phrase repeated itself over and over in Heath's mind as he stared at the man he was about to kill, the one who'd taken his father's life. A strange feeling washed over Heath, and he stood motionless as he wrestled within himself. Then, out of nowhere, a high pitched yapping yanked him out of his trance.

Heath whirled around, seeing a small dog at his heels. It yapped and growled and pawed at his pant leg, looking at him through wild, black eyes. Another dog, a bigger one, bounded into the room, its bark so low and loud it was nearly a bellow. Heath desperately tried to silence the noisy canines, but a sudden pressure seized his throat.

The pressure increased, and the knife fell from Heath's palm and to the floor. Gasping for air, Heath looked over, seeing Invisibilly was awake, now. He glared, his hand hovering in the air and his fingers positioned as if he were holding a soda can. Invisi's fingers flexed, and the pressure tightened around Heath's neck. Then, the fingers dropped and the pressure went away.

Wheezing, Heath collapsed to the floor, his heart pounding. After a moment, he looked up at Invisi and tried to speak, but Invisi quickly snapped his fingers, and Heath's vision went black.

It was 2:00 PM.

The radio buzzed quietly with old music as Draculaura combed her hair on her bed, her wrist gliding the comb down her hair in long strokes. She hummed along to the music, setting the comb down and tying her hair into a ponytail. At this moment, Dodger, her son, came trotting in. He stopped in the middle of the room and put his hands on his hips, tapping his foot. Draculaura saw him, and she couldn't help but giggle.

"What do you need, my blessed precious?" she cooed, getting up off her bed.

Dodger crossed his arms impatiently, flicking his ear. "I'm hungry. Make lunch!"

Draculaura's voice became somewhat stern. "Now, Dodger, you know you don't talk to me that way. If you talk to me like that again, I won't answer you."

Dodger's face softened, and he blinked his big eyes up at her and whimpered. "But why can't I eat? I'm hungry, now!"

"I know," Draculaura picked him up, running her fingers through his thick, dark hair. "But we can't eat until Daddy gets back. He said he was bringing sandwiches. You like sandwiches, right?"

Dodger shrugged. "I guess," he laid his head on her shoulder and sighed, pouting. "Can I please have crackers?"

"Of course you may, my blessed precious." She set him down, leading him to the kitchen.

Before she could fetch the crackers for him, there was a knock at the door. It was urgent and loud, clearly of great importance.

Draculaura quirked an eyebrow, going to the door and opening it. She soon found herself face to face with Abbey, who seemed to be in distress.

"Abbey? Is something wrong?" Draculaura asked, concerned.

"Is Clawd here?" Abbey inquired, her voice sounding strained.

"Not at the moment. Why?"

"I cannot find Heath," As Abbey began her tale of woe, Draculaura led her in and sat her down at the kitchen table. "He just leave yesterday after we have fight. I try to call him later, but he does not answer!" she buried her face in her claws, shaking her head. "He is gone! I just…I just thought Clawd might know where he got to, since they are friends!"

Draculaura thought this over, nodding slowly. "Well…do you think there's anyone else who might help you find him?"

Abbey dabbed at her eyes, sighing. "I talk to Deuce little while ago, but he did not get response when call. Am very worried."

"He's probably fine," Draculaura tried to reassure as she handed her friend a tissue. "He loves you too much to leave you. And what about Icer? You and I both know he'd never leave Icer without saying goodbye."

"What happened?" Dodger asked, popping his head over the table.

"None of your concern, Dodger," Draculaura said sweetly, patting his head. "We're having grown-up talk."

Just then, the door opened, and in walked Clawd with a plastic grocery bag. "I'm home!" he announced, stopping when he noticed Abbey. "Hey, Abbey! How are you?"

Abbey suddenly burst into tears. "I am terrible!" she sobbed. She then proceeded to tell the whole story, about going to see Carlotta, the zompires, what happened with Invisibilly, and the fight with Heath. She'd been so worried about him and so angry at everyone and everything that she had barely slept, and now her emotions were off the wall. She had to leave Icer with Merida because she didn't want him to see her like this.

After Abbey had calmed down, Draculaua patted her back. "It'll be okay, Abbey. Just you see."

"Can I have my sandwich?" Dodger piped up, pawing his father's pant leg.

The phone rang, and Clawd stood up. "Draculaura, could you get Dodger his sandwich? I'm going to answer the phone."

He walked out into the living room, picking up the house phone and answering. "Hello?"

A soft, feminine voice asked, "Is this Clawd Wolf?"

"Uh, yes?"

"This is Carrie. We have your friend, Heath," she explained, stopping to cough before continuing. "If you want him, come up to East Manor. Alert his wife, too. Thank you." With that, she hung up.

Clawd stood there motionless, just holding the phone in his furry paw. He turned towards the kitchen and called out in a shaky voice, "Abbey?"

 **Hey again!**

 **Sorry for the lack of activity. Even though my show ended, school is still keeping me busy and I've just been a bit stressed. Also, happy Halloween! My Ariel (the little mermaid) costume will be put to good use!**

 **Thoughts on this chapter? What do you think is going on? Will Heath be okay? Predictions for future events? Please give me your thoughts in your review!**

 **Until next chapter, my fellow monsters!**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Stonyville

 _Suggested Track: Angels - Within Temptation_

The sticky feeling of a leather chair was the sensation Heath awoke to probably half an hour later. His eyes drifted open and took in the surroundings, seeing that he was inside a dark room with a computer before him and an old cellphone to his right. He tried to move his hand to rub his eye, but he found he was not able to do this. He looked down, seeing he was handcuffed to the arm rest. This struck panic in him, and he tried to struggle away by burning the handcuffs. They seemed to be fire proof, and no matter how hard he tugged they did not come loose.

"Hey, there," a woman's voice said softly, and a pale finger stroked Heath's cheek, making him stop what he was doing. "Come on, now, don't escape. We're all friends, here."

Breathing heavily, Heath looked up, seeing what appeared to be a female version of Invisibilly. Her hands gripped a box of chocolates, which she before Heath.

"Would you like some? They're from Norway. Elsa bought them."

Heath found himself unable to speak properly. "I…I…"

"What's the matter?" the woman pouted, cocking her head to the side. "You don't like chocolate?"

Before Heath could respond, a door swung open behind him and he heard the voice of Invisibilly.

"Is he awake, Disappear?"

"Yes," the woman answered, pushing the box of chocolates away. "He looks scared, poor thing."

Invisi took a seat in another chair beside Heath, and spun Heath's chair around to face him. "Hello, Heath. I don't know if you know this about me, but I really don't like intruders."

"Let…me... _GO!_ " Heath growled, trying to struggle free once again. Invisi, however, thrust his hand forward and pushed his captive back into the chair.

"I'm not finished!" he growled, looking Heath straight in the eye. "Now, I want to know what made you do this. What made you want to kill me?"

"You know what!" Heath retorted, his eyes full of hate. "You killed my dad, you psycho!"

"Hey!" Invisi pushed Heath into the chair once again. "I had a reason. If you'd just listen for once in your miserable life, you'll know that reason."

"Fine," Heath glared, clenching his fist. "Tell me, then."

There was a silence, and then Invisi stood up. He paced for a few moments, not saying a word. Finally, his pacing slowed to a halt, and he looked back at Heath.

"When I was twelve, my father, the invisible man, started doing strange things. He developed a habit of pulling out his eyelashes and plucking the whiskers from our cat's face. He threatened to stab our mailman with a pair of scissors. He'd also go out at night and just be gone for hours, once even a whole day. We were all worried, but my mother never did anything about it. Until one night," Invisibilly stopped. He took a deep breath, remembering what happened. Then he continued. "I was asleep in my bed, but shouting outside woke me up. My sister and I ran outside and saw a mob of people from our town. They threw things, they shouted at us and screamed. Then, they chased us inside and started destroying things in our home. They smashed our windows, tore up our carpeting and smashed our flower pots. Our little brother even got snatched from his cradle and killed," When he said this, Disappear suddenly took in a sharp breath. Heath glanced over at her, seeing she was now turned away.

"Our dad ran in," Invisibilly continued. "He began yelling at everyone to leave or else he'd kill them all, but they seized him. Turning invisible didn't help him, either. They beat him, they hit him with beer bottles and kicked him until he became too weak. Then, one man, a fire elemental, walked up and hit my father with a wooden board and killed him instantly," he stopped, his eyes meeting Heath's slowly. "That man was your father, Heath."

Heath could not believe this. "No…no! There's no way my father would do that!"

"Well, he did, Heath."

"But…" there was just no comprehending the gravity of what his father had done. Hawking had assisted a mob of angry villagers in the destruction of Professor Griffin's home and life? It was all too hard to take.

"I'm sorry I killed him."

Those words brought Heath back to reality. "What?"

Invisibilly turned away, staring at the wall blankly. "I'm sorry I killed Hawking. Honestly, I didn't want to," he turned back to Heath, his eyes shining with regret. "See, it was Napoleon's fault. He found out our mother's identity and became determined to bring out my dark side, or as my father called it, my nightmare self."

 _Nightmare self._ The memory of what happened at the café flashed in Heath's mind.

"Every morning," Invisibilly continued. "Napoleon would pull me out of class and knock me out. I didn't know until after the fact that he'd been using a probing needle and techniques usually reserved for lucid dreaming to open my third eye. In other words, my telekinesis and telepathy," he gently pulled Heath closer to him, sighing. "But it wasn't long before Napoleon began entering my mind and looking through my memories, discovering my deepest secrets and finding out that it was Hawking who killed my dad. And then, one morning, Disappear helped me escape, but I foolishly came back the next day. Foolish because that day was the purge."

He paused, and his eyes met with Heath's. He took in a deep breath and focused back on the floor.

"I hid most of that day. No one except Napoleon knew I was there, since he'd cast a spell on himself so only he could see me whenever I was invisible. When I went into the hallway, Napoleon was in there with Hawking getting ready to fight. I tried to sneak past, but there was all this purple smoke and…" Invisi took another quivering breath. "And I inhaled it and blacked out. When I came to, Hawking was on the floor bleeding. He wasn't dead yet, so I tried to move him where it would be safer, but…I couldn't. He died when I tried to carry him away, so I left him there. I didn't know what to do, and I just paced around until everything hit me and I had a panic attack," he looked back into Heath's eyes, and the guilt was very clear. "That was when you and my mom found me. Heath, I'm so sorry," he reached a hand forward, his fingers positioned around the hand cuffs. "Please believe me when I say that I'm _very_ sorry for what I did. I understand if you're not willing to forgive me, but please, can't we at least just make peace?"

Heath thought long and hard about this. Invisibilly had never meant to kill Hawking; it was all Napoleon's error! All along it had been that unicorn, the creature of light and purity turned dark. And here he was, shifting the blame for the death of Hawking Burns on a frightened teenager with a terrifying power. Billy was not to blame, and he had never been to blame. In the end, it all boiled down to Napoleon, who Heath had initially blamed for his father's death in the first place.

Heath wanted to say, _I forgive you. I know it wasn't your fault and even if it was, I understand why you'd do it,_ but somehow, all he could manage was, "It's okay," in a meek voice.

A weak smile worked its way on Invisibilly's lips, and he undid Heath's handcuffs and set them on the table. In this moment, two heavy weights seemed to have lifted off the souls of both men, and they embraced. It was a bit of an awkward hug, but it was fulfilling and felt as though it were needed.

They pulled away after a few moments, and Heath tried to leave. However, Invisi stopped him.

"Hang on, Heath. Before you go, there's something we need to show you," He nodded at Disappear. "Get the video ready."

Heath became on alert. "Video? What video?"

Invisibilly folded his hands, looking at Heath with complete seriousness. "There's something you need to see. Something that, well, a lot of people in this town need to see. The girl in this video uncovers probably one of the best well kept secrets this town-in fact, this whole state we live in- has ever known."

Very intrigued, Heath watched as Disappear placed an unmarked DVD in the computer, turning the screen towards herself to enter some information. After a few minutes, she turned the screen back and pressed play.

The video began with darkness. Then, the camera's lens cap was removed, and a familiar face made Heath jump in shock.

" _HARMONY!_ " he yelped, throwing himself forward and pressing his face to the screen. She looked so terrified, her amber eyes darting around the room as she clutched a bundle of papers in her hands.

Invisibilly pulled Heath back gently, patting his shoulder and whispering, "Control yourself, Heath. I know this is hard, but just watch."

On the screen, Harmony set the papers down and glanced behind herself nervously before taking a deep breath and beginning to speak.

"I don't know how to start this video, because I didn't think I'd be making it," she glanced towards the door again and then back to the camera. "I also have to be very quiet, since my fiancé is with me and he doesn't want me saying what I'm about to say," Harmony anxiously flipped through her papers, selecting one and setting the others to the side. Clearing her throat, she turned the paper to the camera, revealing a picture of some old cobblestone houses lined in a row. "These are some houses at a town called 'Stonyville". You've probably never heard of it, because according to our country, it doesn't exist." She set the paper down in front of her, folding her hands on the desk. "Stonyville was a remarkable town for its time, for it was the first town of its kind to have both humans and vampires in the same neighborhood living in complete peace. However, in 1985, that began to change." She picked up another picture, this time a drawing of a smiley face with fangs and the letters 'TVC' printed beneath. "A vicious gang of vampires known simply as TVC came to Stonyville and began to cause trouble. Their leader, Eris Hall, did everything in her power to ensure that there would be nothing but hate between vampires and humans. So, she had the members of TVC attack humans. They caused car accidents, started gang fights with human gangs, and even snuck a bomb into a supermarket and killed eighty-five people," Harmony let out a shuddery sigh, picking up the next few papers with quivering hands. However, she held these pictures to her chest, chewing on her lip. "The town's officials didn't know what to do. They looked high and low for help, until a man stepped in. His name was Napoleon Pearlin, and he was a talented wizard. He claimed to have created a serum that, if sprayed across the town as a sort of crop duster, would calm the town's residents down and stop the fighting. The officials trusted his wisdom, but on the day the spraying was supposed to take place, TVC suddenly disappeared. They never said why, they just left. The serum was sprayed on the town, but then…" she trailed off, looking away. Taking a deep breath, she looked back at the camera. "The humans became calm, just as they were supposed to. But then, they all fell into a deep state of depression. They stopped eating, sleeping, working, everything. Until they became walking corpses, or…" she turned one of the pictures to the camera. It was a photograph of a child sitting in a gutter clutching a doll close. The child reminded Heath very much of Ghoulia. Harmony set the picture down, sputtering out, "Zombies. The town's human population became zombies. But the vampires, while the serum caused their bodies to decompose as well, their reaction was completely opposite. They became very aggressive, so aggressive that they were unstoppable. They left Stonyville, running around and tearing apart small, poor towns by the thousands. They were cruel, merciless, and still around to this day. They became known as, 'zompires'."

Heath covered his mouth in astonishment, watching as Harmony wiped her eyes and reached for another picture. She turned it to the camera, showing the photograph of a zompire standing in a desert drenched in blood, its hideous face twisted into a sick, fang-toothed smile.

"The reason why I've chosen to make this video is because- well," she checked the door again, and set the picture down. "There's evidence that my fiancé's family may have helped Napoleon create the serum. I don't know for sure, but I'm trying to find out. I also made this video to tell this story," she wiped at her eyes, again, trying to control herself. "I'm trying to make sure that Stonyville is not forgotten! That many years ago, there was a place where humans and monsters lived peacefully, until they were clouded by hate. So, if anyone sees this video, please spread the word and-!"

Suddenly, the door slammed open behind her, and Jared entered the room. Harmony whirled around, gasping, "Jared!" before he grabbed her and shoved her to the floor liker she was nothing but a ragdoll. When she was down, he leapt on top of her, and while it was unclear what happened next, her screams proved that he was doing something horrifying to her. Finally, Heath couldn't take anymore.

" _STOP!_ " He shrieked, grabbing the sides of his head and pressing his eyes shut. " _STOP, I DON'T WANNA SEE ANY MORE!_ "

The video paused, and Heath took several deep breaths to control himself. After a moment, his eyes met with Invisibilly's.

"W-what do we do now?"

"Whatever we have to," Billy answered simply. "Now, come with me, your friends should be here soon and I'll explain more."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Secrets and Surprises (not the good kind)

 _Suggested Track: Monster- Meg and Dia (original version)_

 **Warning: This chapter contains situations some readers may find disturbing. You have been warned.**

Everyone in the living room was very perplexed.

Clawd Wolf, Deuce Gorgon, and Gilligan Webber had all received phone calls from a woman named Carrie, instructing them to go to East Manor to retrieve Heath, their friend. Upon arriving, each guest had been let in by a female butler no older than twenty- five and seated in a living room. Now, here they remained, waiting for an explanation.

"This is terribly uninteresting, Deuce," Cleo groaned, rolling her eyes. "First of all, this place looks like Martha Stewart spontaneously combusted and _this_ was the result, and second of all, Heath isn't that important."

"Why did you come, then?" Asked Clawd from a separate couch, irritation present in his voice.

"You know why!" Cleo pouted, wrapping an arm around Deuce and pecking his cheek sweetly. "I simply couldn't let him wander around by himself. Goodness, who knows what would happen! And besides, our servants take care of our girls most of the time anyway, so we're not concerned about leaving them, right honey?" she smiled at Deuce, waiting for a reply.

Finally, after some silence, Deuce quietly answered, "Right. They were napping when we left, anyway."

The door opened, and much to everyone's surprise, in walked Heath and Invisibilly. Right away, Abbey sprang up and went to Heath, and with a quick motion, she slapped him across the face.

As Heath yelped in response to the slap, Abbey began to scold. "How could you!? You just walk off from me, you do not answer when I call! I was worried, and Icer-!"

"That's enough!" Invisibilly cut in sternly. "He feels bad enough about it as it is, Abbey."

Heath rubbed his cheek where he'd been slapped and he looked away, trying not to meet Abbey's eyes. "I'm sorry, Abbey. But I deserve whatever you want to do with me. You can hit me all you want, I don't care."

Abbey's eyes softened, and she gently took his head in her hands and gave him a kiss. She broke away a few moments later, wrapping him in her arms and resting her head on his shoulder. Heath felt himself unable to do anything except hug back, though he knew she'd find out what he'd done sooner or later. She'd find it while they were in bed that night, a dark graze on his inner thigh, something she'd know full well didn't belong to her. However, as of now, they held each other and asked no questions.

After some silence, Invisi motioned for the couple to sit.

"Now, look, everyone," he began, taking a seat in a nearby chair. "It's very important that I tell you all what happened today, so that-"

A knock at the door cut him off, and he called out, "Melody! Someone's at the door!"

The female butler scurried to the door, opening it and letting out a gasp of surprise. "Oh, no! Sir, could you come take a look at this!?"

Confused, Invisibilly stood up, going to the door and taking a look at what Melody was gawking at. To his surprise, and to the surprise of those who could see it, Ramona and Mack were at the doorway, along with a group of children. Right away, they were all ushered inside.

Something had occurred, clearly. Mack's ear was torn and bleeding, Ramona was pressing a bloodstained cloth against her lip, and a few of the children looked different. In fact, after doing a mental head count, it was Abbey who realized that there were more children than she had remembered there being. In their previous encounter, there had been five children, and now there were eight, and Muriel was not among them.

"What happened!?" Invisibilly asked in shock, looking over Mack's ripped ear.

"Carlotta went berserk," Ramona answered, removing the cloth from her lip to reveal a nasty wound. "She attacked Mack and I and chased us out with all the kids. And this isn't even all of them- she kept a few inside with her, and God knows what she's done to them."

It was this moment that Abbey spoke up. "Wait just a minute- last time, at ugly Gutter, there were only five. How come there are more?"

"Because," Mack removed a hand from his wound, glaring at the floor. "There were always more. Remember in the basement, how she said not to go past the stuffed bear? That's because…" he trailed off, and inquired, "Can the children be moved somewhere else?"

Invisibilly nodded, summoning Melody. "Take them upstairs." She agreed, and after the children were safely put away, Mack continued.

"Past the bear was a room where she kept kids who misbehaved or tried to run away, and then every Saturday night, guys she knows from a local bar come over and…do… _horrible_ things. They pay her tons of money for those kids, too. If she didn't buy cigarettes all the time, she could practically buy an island."

"Wait," Deuce cut in, extremely uncomfortable. "What is going on? Who's Carlotta?"

"I'll explain later," Invisi said, his voice shaky with astonishment. He sat down in the chair, looking back up at Mack. "So…she runs a child brothel?"

"Yes," Ramona was the one who answered this time. "Not to mention a series of child porn tapes. And do you know where she gets new actors for that?" she reached into her pocket, pulling out a crumpled up paper. Smoothing it out, she revealed it to be the flyer for the after school correction program. "With this."

"W-what!?" Heath snatched the paper up, looking it over, and seeing there was something written on the back. He turned it over, and saw something utterly disturbing. Written on the back were the names of Valentina, Icer, and Aqua, and next to the names were prices. And, most horrifying of all, written next to Icer's name were the words, ' _very jumpy; perfect for bondage_ '. "N-no… _NO!_ " Heath shrieked, throwing the paper on the floor and preparing to burn it. Before he could, though, Invisibilly stopped him.

"Control yourself! We need that as evidence."

Heath took a moment to catch his breath, and he sighed. "Carlotta is…a nightmare."

"We know that," Ramona spoke up, slumping down into a nearby chair. "I knew I should've killed myself when IT left our town."

There was a silence, and Invisibilly inquired, "What do you mean?"

Ramona swept some hair from her face, her fingers trailing to the sore on her lip. "When I was twelve, children in my neighborhood began disappearing. One by one, just gone without a trace. Nobody could figure out why, until one day, I was walking home from school, and," she took in a breath, hugging her arms and chewing on her lip. "And then I got nabbed by IT. I don't remember anything except the pain and the fear, but I woke up naked on the side of the road. And then- I was pregnant. I tried to kill myself a bunch of times, but my family always stopped me each time."

"But…" Heath stood there confused, trying to make sense of all this. "What does this have to do with Carlotta? Isn't she your sister?"

"No," Ramona answered simply. "She's my daughter. I tried to kill her after she was born, but I couldn't. And, now I wish I had," her eyes filled with tears, and she looked away. "I don't know what to do! She scares me and I can tell she hates me, but when I think about killing her…well," she motioned to her face, contorted with emotion. "This happens! I just cry. I can't stand it, I just can't stand it!" Ramona then began to rummage around in her pockets, then stormed away, choking out, "God, I need a cigarette!"

Mack got up and followed her, and then Invisi trailed after him.

But, then, things got worse. Much worse.

 **WOOOOH I'M NOT DEAD**

 **But yeah, sorry for the lack of activity. And sorry this was such a short chapter. Trust me, the next one should be rather lengthy and epic!**

 **So, thoughts so far? Were you surprised about what Carlotta was doing? How do you think Carlotta should be dealt with? Let me know in your review!**

 **See you next chapter, fellow monsters!**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Demons and Zompires

 _Suggested track: Faster- Within Temptation_

The gentle dialogue from the cartons on the television provided background noise for Anne Marie and Valentina as they amused themselves with drawing pictures on Valentina's sketchpad. In a chair beside the bed, Valentine sat and watched as his daughters bonded. The two sisters liked each other very much, as evidenced by the way they spoke and laughed together. Everything was beautiful, everything was perfect. But, then a clicking sound was heard, as if someone was trying to turn the handle.

Thinking it was the nurse, Valentine arose and answered the door. Much to his horror, it was not the nurse, but Carlotta Pennywise.

She looked awful, even more so than usual. Her eyes looked so bloodshot that they might as well have just been bleeding, her hands were quivering, and she was breathing heavily. Her eyes narrowed, and she gritted her yellow teeth.

"Where is she?" Carlotta hissed while leaning into Valentine's face, her cigarette scented breath making him gag. "Where is Anne Marie?"

Valentine gasped. His heart throbbed and his chest began to tighten. He tried to gulp down air to avoid a heart attack. "I…I…I..." was all he could get out.

Vampira was there almost instantly, gently pushing Valentine out of the way and facing Carlotta. "What business do you have with her?" Vampira asked coolly, crossing her arms and glaring defiantly.

Carlotta shoved Vampira in the chest with a snarl, storming past her and planting herself right in front of the bed. Anne Marie backed away, her eyes growing wide and her mouth falling open.

"You ran away again, didn't you!?" Carlotta snarled, getting right in Anne Marie's face. When Anne began to cringe and cry, Carlotta snatched up her wrist. "Didn't you!?"

It was at that moment that Valentine's fear of having a heart attack vanished and was replaced with the everlasting determination to protect his child. Filled with rage, he grabbed Carlotta by the hair and threw her to the ground, then proceeding to smash her nose with the heel of his boot. Surprisingly, Carlotta recovered quickly from this and sprang up from the floor, her clawed fingernails swiping towards the vampire. Fortunately for Valentine, she missed and only tore part of his jacket.

Valentine stumbled backwards, falling down against the wall. Carlotta loomed over him, and her appearance began to change. She seemed to grow; she got taller and taller until her head nearly touched the ceiling. Her skin became paler until it was the color of a spider's underbelly, and black cracks that looked like the flaws on a porcelain doll spread up her body. Her teeth became sharper than needles and her eyes blackened into deep, soulless holes. She hissed, leaning in closer to Valentine.

" _HEY!_ " A voice screamed, and it caught Carlotta's attention. It was Vampira, her high heeled feet rooted to the floor as she stared boldly into the creature's face. " _GET AWAY FROM MY SON!_ "

Vampira reached into her purse, pulling out a little bottle and pointing it in Carlotta's face. With a quick push of her finger, Vampira successfully pepper sprayed Carlotta in the face, making her roar and rub at her eyes. Valentine took the moment to leap away from the wall, going straight for his children. He snatched them into his arms, holding the trembling little masses close as he shielded them with his body, turning back only to see Carlotta knock his mother to the ground and stand over her, teeth inches away from Vampira's face.

" _MOM!_ " Valentine cried out, holding his children closer and fearing the worst.

Vampira, however, grinned in Carlotta's face, her eyes narrowing into dark slits. "Do your wickedest."

And then there was color. Color everywhere. Brightness and sound, bursts of colors and patterns swirling. And then, everything went black.

There was light again, and Valentine's eyes cracked open slowly to find himself lying on the cold, hospital floor. He sat up slowly, his body quivering as he looked all around. The room was dark, now, and the walls and floors were stained with blood. His heart began to pound again, and he looked around frantically.

"Girls!?" he struggled to his feet, looking around. "Valentina!? Anne Marie!?" fear flowed through his veins as he searched frantically for his children. Finally, a whimper coming from the coat closet caught his attention, and he threw the door open. Valentina and Anne Marie were inside, huddled up and crying softly. Valentine scooped them up right away, pressing them close and kissing them over and over while calling them all manner of sweet names. After several minutes, they all settled somewhat, and Valentine cautiously crept into the hallway while still carrying his girls, looking around. Everything was eerily silent, and there was no sign of Vampira or Carlotta.

"Over here!" a voice yelled, and Valentine darted back in the room. He set his daughters down, still keeping them close as he glanced into the hallway. A bunch of police officers were running through the halls, opening the doors to each room and investigating. It wasn't long before they noticed Valentine, and right away they swarmed him and his children.

"Are you all right!?" they asked, checking all three over. Valentine swallowed nervously, nodding.

"I-I'm fine," he told them, his voice shaking. "But I can't find my mother!"

"Was she up here with you?"

"Yes."

The officers took Valentine and the girls down to the hospital lobby, and they explained what they could: several calls took place regarding an unidentified creature terrorizing the patients and staff of the hospital, and the creature fought a long battle with the police before finally succumbing to gunshot wounds.

"What happened then?" Valentine inquired as they arrived at the lobby.

The officer gestured toward a crowd of people who were gathered around a body. "This happened. I dunno, I can't explain it."

Valentine moved a little closer, seeing that it was the body of Carlotta, in the human form he'd first seen her in. She appeared to be dead, but as Valentine got closer, her eyes cracked open. She mouthed something to him, and he leaned closer to her.

"What?" he asked, his voice irritable and filled with loathing. "What do you want?"

A smile slowly spread across her face, and she croaked, "Y…you…your friends…will die," Carlotta swallowed, and her body heaved in a desperate breath. "Z…zompires…I sent…them…E-East Manor…you friends are there…" she grinned at him almost triumphantly, but she broke into a coughing fit. Blood dripped down her chin, and she smirked. "They're _dead meat._ " She hacked more blood, and she collapsed.

Valentine stared in confusion, thinking over what he'd just heard. "East Manor?" he wondered aloud, standing up and walking away. "Where is East Manor?"

"Down in the rich part of town," a voice spoke up. "You know, where all the stuck up guys live?"

Valentine turned to where the voice was coming from, seeing a girl standing behind him hooked to an IV stand. Blood dripped down her leg, but it didn't seem to bother her.

"Is your leg okay?" Valentine asked, going to help her.

"I'm fine," the girl assured, waving him off. "Just upset. They postponed my surgery for this."

Valentine patted her shoulder. "I'm sorry to hear that, Alexandra," they exchanged a smile, and Valentine turned away. "Now, I have to go. I need to find my mother and get to East Manor."

As he walked away, Alexandra called after him, "Good luck, Valentine!" when he was farther away, she murmured under her breath, "You're so Goddamn cute."

Back at East Manor, Invisibilly was pouring Ramona a drink the fridge when Melody shuffled in, looking worried.

"Anything wrong?" Invisi asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"There's some suspicious characters out of the front lawn," she explained, wringing her hands. "And...uh...they look like a mix of zombies and vampires."

Invisibilly let this sink in, and he whipped around immediately.

 _"EVERYONE! UPSTAIRS, NOW!_ "

 **Ooh, another scary cliffhanger!**

 **This is NEARLY finished, folks! There's about two or three chapters left (If everything works out)!**

 **So, thoughts? Did it scare you? Where's Vampira? How good of a chance do you think our friends at East Manor have of escaping zompires? Give me your thoughts and predictions!**

 **Until next chapter, fellow monsters!**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: The Other Shoe Drops

 _Suggested Track: The Cross- Within Temptation_

 **Warning: This chapter contains violence and gore. Viewer discretion is advised.**

The loud crash the zompires made as they slammed into the side of the house was a noise no one in East Manor would ever forget.

Invisibilly came bolting into the living room, shouting, " _DIDN'T YOU HEAR WHAT I SAID!?UPSTAIRS, NOW!_ "

Everyone in the living room got up quickly, though they did not know why, and ran to the stairs. But the shattering of glass proved that they were not fast enough.

Gil jumped in alarm when something grabbed his shoulder. He looked, and screamed in shock at the zompire that had grabbed him. Before the zompire could strike, Abbey sprang into action and raked her claws across the creature's eyes, blinding it.

"Ha!" she laughed when the zompire collapsed. "No seafood tonight!" she then grabbed Gil by the arm and pulled him up the stairs with all the others.

Invisibilly ushered them into a large, empty room, saying, "Okay, I'm going to get my daughter and my maids, stay here!"

"But what if the zompires break in!?" Heath nearly screeched, clearly distressed.

Invisibilly stopped in the doorway, then turned to face his guests. "You'll all be okay! You each have powers that you can use to protect yourselves. Don't be worried!" With that, he closed the door quickly and was gone.

It was roughly about ten minutes later when there was a slam on the other side of the door. Everyone in the room stood still, preparing to attack. After a dreadful pause, the door broke down.

The zompires came rushing in, hissing and spitting and clawing the air. Nobody could tell how many there were, but it was certain that there were too many.

The first to get grabbed was Heath, and he reacted quickly. The two zompires that had seized him immediately burst into flames, and they went twirling around aimlessly and setting the others on fire as well, causing a general panic.

Deuce didn't even have to turn around to realize one had touched him, and he spun around, petrifying the nasty creature. Another one came towards him, and he did the same to that one. This went on for a while until Deuce was surrounded by a barricade of statues. He weeded in between them and went to go petrify some more.

However, he didn't notice the zompire that was headed right towards him, waiting to take him by surprise. Luckily for Deuce, Cleo saw this and sprinted to the zompire, knocking into it and shoving it against the wall. The zompire shrieked and hissed and tried to bite Cleo, but Cleo laughed in its face.

"I pity you," she smirked, pushing her hand against the zompire's jaw to keep it from biting her. "After all, zompires were vampires, weren't they? You poor thing. Sorry, but I won't be anyone's snack today!" she then tossed the zompire on the ground and positioned her fingers above it. There was a sickening crack, and the zompire bent backwards, its entire spine shattering. Another one snuck behind Cleo, its mouth open and ready to bite, but Cleo whipped around and punched it in the jaw. "Keep your mouth shut!" she snapped, leaping away.

The fight against the zompires lasted around fifteen minutes, and the last one went down after a gunshot rang out. Everyone turned to Gil, who stood in the corner terrified, holding nothing but a pistol.

"Where did you find that?!" Deuce asked in alarm.

Girl swallowed nervously. "I-In there." He gestured to an old hatbox lying on the floor.

Clawd reached into his pocket, pulling out a disinfectant wipe and cleaning his claws. He began to look around, and panic flooded through him. "Where's Draculaura!? Draculaura, where are you!?"

"Up here!" a timid voice called from above, and everyone looked up. A little bat flew down from the ceiling, transforming into Draculaura and landing safely on the floor. Draculaura covered her mouth in shock, burying her face in Clawd's shoulder to block out the sight of all the gore. "Oh, oh I hate it!" she shrieked, clinging to her husband. "We have to get out of here, Clawd!"

At this moment, the two maids, the butler and Aqua all came stumbling in, all looking terrified. The kittens Aqua clutched in her arms looked equally terrified, too.

"Where's Invisi?" Heath asked nervously.

"In the basement," a voice said, and Disappear came limping in, holding her arm. "He accidently locked himself down there with a bunch of zompires! It looks grim, and I'm not sure what to do!"

Heath came forward right away. "We need to help him! Come on, let's-!"

He was interrupted by a loud bang coming from a few floors below them, and everyone fell silent. After a moment, Heath bolted away.

He didn't know the house well, yet after several minutes of searching, he came upon a door near the kitchen. Heath took a chance and tried to open it, and after realizing it was locked, he melted the handle and kicked the door down. And then, he gaped at what he saw.

Standing among a spread of blood, the destroyed bodies of zompires and shattered glass was Invisibilly. He was drenched in blood and quivering, his back turned to Heath.

Heath just stood there, staring open mouthed until Invisi turned to him slowly, his eyes wide. The two just stared at each other in complete silence for several moments, as if waiting for the other to speak.

"Invisi!" a voice shouted, and Invisibilly looked up. Carrie pushed past Heath gently, coming into the room and stepping over the zompires to get to her son. She reached him, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "What happened?"

Invisibilly simply leaned into his mother's face, whispering, "Call the police."

"They're already here," she answered softly.

Silence, and Invisi turned around, walking past Heath and into the living room.

Three hours later, Heath and Abbey opened the door to their apartment and were promptly greeted by Merida, who immediately began to fuss over Heath.

"We were so worried!" she scolded, pulling him inside. "Icer hasn't even eaten today- he's just been sitting by the window waiting for you!"

This concerned Heath. "Really? My God, where is he?"

"In his room, next to the window," Merida explained. "Now, go talk to him and I'll cook dinner. We're having pot roast tonight!" she gave him a kiss, and hurried off to prepare food.

Heath opened the door to Icer's room and found him lying asleep on the window sill, clutching one of his action figures in his little hand. Kneeling down, Heath rubbed his son's shoulder to awaken him, whispering, "Hey, buddy, I'm back."

Icer's eyes peeled open slowly, and then they went wide. He threw his arms around his father's neck, crying out, " _DADDY!_ Daddy, I missed you so much!"

Heath fought back tears as he kissed his son over and over, simply cherishing him. "I missed you too, Icer. I'm so sorry I left!"

They cuddled for a few more moments, and Icer inquired, "Daddy, where did you go? What did you do?"

"I was mad, but I'm not anymore," he smiled, rubbing Icer's shoulder lovingly. "But I went and fought bad guys."

Icer gasped. "Really? What were they?"

"They were half zombie, half vampire, and look," he pulled a tooth out of his pocket, showing it to Icer. "I got a tooth from one."

Icer could not believe his eyes. "Wow! A tooth! So cool!" he put it in his pocket, grinning and hugging Heath again.

This time, Heath let some tears fall, and he held Icer close. He squeezed him tighter when the thought of what Carlotta had written on the back of that sheet crossed his mind. "Okay, come on, now," he said softly after a moment. "Let's go eat, grandma is making pot roast."

This all had occurred on a Saturday.

It wasn't until Monday that all the details about that Saturday were revealed. At about 6:00 in the morning, Carlotta received a phone call from Social Services asking her to come down for an important meeting. After hearing this, Carlotta apparently lost her mind and attacked her boyfriend, Mack, and her mother, Ramona, as well as a few children. Mack and Ramona escaped with some of the children, but a few others got left behind. Carlotta then left the few children who were still there with the ghost woman named Melissa Haunter, who had been helping Carlotta film child porn for the past ten years, to go to the hospital and retrieve Annabelle Marie in hopes of murdering her along with the other children trapped in the house. Since Carlotta's plan was foiled, the children were not harmed, and Mrs. Haunter was fired from her teaching job and imprisoned.

Needless to say, there was quite a mess to clean up.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Snowfall

 _Suggested Tack: Not Alone- Red_

It was so cold out. It had been warmer that morning, but now it was quite chilly and very dark. Dark, except for the flashing police and ambulance lights. Bodies moved about, and Valentine looked around frantically while holding his daughters close. Valentina had brought her coat, but Anne Marie was still in her hospital gown, so now she was snuggled in her father's jacket and pressed close against him, looking up at him with wide, scared eyes. Valentine ran his fingers through Anne's hair before calling out, " _MOM! MOM, WHERE ARE YOU!?_ "

He'd been at the hospital for a few hours, and there was still no sign of his mother. Paramedics and police officers had been asked, but one had seen Vampira. That is, until Valentina tugged on her father's sleeve.

"Daddy, I see grandma! In that ambulance right there!"

Valentine looked to where his daughter was pointing, and sure enough, inside an ambulance was Vampira. She was sitting up, looking visibly shaken and damaged. Dried blood glistened on her lip, her ear, and from a mutilation right above her right breast. When she noticed her son, she slowly lifted up her right hand, and Valentine realized with horror that she was missing a finger.

Wasting no time, Valentine lifted both his daughters into the back of the ambulance before climbing in and rushing to his mother. He threw his arms around her as gently as he could, kissing her cheek and stroking her hair. She hugged back with just one arm, holding the other in the air and quivering profusely. Valentine pulled away after moment, looking into her eyes and seeing tears of pain. He didn't ask her what exactly had happened, for he didn't want to know. Instead, he took her undamaged hand into his own and kissed it. "I love you, mom."

A tear rolled down Vampira's cheek, and she pressed her face against his and nuzzled him. She murmured something into his ear, but it was so quiet and faint that he barely understood it. After a few moments, a paramedic appeared and separated them, telling Valentine to take the children home and to check with his mother the next day. Valentine obliged, and as he drove home, Anne Marie posed a question:

"Will I have to go back to the Lovely Gutter?

Valentine stopped at a red light, and he turned to his little girl. "You're never going near that place again," he told her very seriously. "You're going home with me, and I'm _never_ letting you go."

She smiled at him, and he smiled back, and he continued driving. It was at this moment that gentle snow began to fall, and the street lights illuminated the little white specks. It was a lovely sight.

At an apartment building, where snow was also falling, Heath and Abbey lay awake. All was quiet, and neither one looked at each other. A few minutes passed, and Abbey leaned over and lifted up the blanket across their laps, looking in at Heath's thigh and grimacing. Heath did not look at her.

"I'm sorry, Abbey," he murmured, avoiding eye contact. "So very, very sorry."

Abbey said nothing. Instead, she slowly laid the blanket back down and met Heath's lips in a tender, loving kiss. He kissed back, and after a few moments, they parted. Abbey whispered, "Stranger lady does not get to have you- _I_ do." She kissed him again, and Heath couldn't help but chuckle.

"Got that right," he grinned, turning out the light and climbing on top of her. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

The night passed as quietly as it had come, and when the sun was up, Heath awoke to the feeling of being poked in the nose.

"Daddy," a little voice whispered. "Daddy, wake up." Icer nudged his father's face with the back of his hand, softly blowing air on him to wake him up.

Heath sat up, smiling and rubbing his eyes. "Hey, kiddo. How did you sleep?"

"Daddy, it snowed last night!" Icer exclaimed, bouncing excitedly. "Can I go play in it?"

"Don't think you want to, little beast," Abbey said, sitting up and looking out the window. "Not lot of snow to play in, and you need breakfast!" she scooped him up in her arms, making him squeal as she carried him to the kitchen. Before she left, she turned and winked at Heath.

Heath smiled at her, slipping out of bed and following her.

A week went by, and the snow piled into thicker blankets. It was on one snowy Friday afternoon that Abbey and Heath took Icer in the car with them and drove out to the local park, where the baseball field made a wonderful, snowy playground. When Heath and Abbey walked to the field with Icer clutching both of their hands, they happened upon Valentine, Howleen, Clawd and Draculaura all with their own children.

Icer went to Valentina right away, and the two began to construct a snowman. Dodger went to help them, but Anne Marie stayed pressed into Valentine's pant leg. She stared with wide eyed wonder at the snow, slowly removing one of her gloves and reaching out to poke the snow. She gasped at how cold it was, and looked up at her father with a wonder-filled smile.

"Have you ever played in the snow before, Anne?" asked Howleen. Anna Marie shook her head.

"No," she explained, grabbing a hunk of snow and shaping it into a little ball. "Foster mom let us watch it, but she wouldn't let us play in it," she looked up at the other children, who had stopped building the snow man were currently making a snow fort using the dugout. "Can I go play with them?" Anne Marie asked, looking up innocently at her father.

Valentine ran his fingers through her hair and nodded. "Of course you can, princess." He kissed her forehead, and she trotted off to play.

"She's so cute," Heath remarked, walking over to join Valentine and Howleen where they were standing. "She looks kind of like your mom," his demeanor then became concerned. "How is she, by the way?"

Valentine sighed, looking away. "She still refuses to talk about what happened, but she's getting better." He noticed something in the distance, and pointed. "Look, here comes Deuce and Cleo."

It was known among the group that Cleo hated snow, but for her children, she was willing to trudge through it (but not for very long). As they walked, Viper dipped her little hand into the snow and got a piece of it, shoving it in her mouth.

"Disgusting!" Cleo scolded, wrinkling her nose at what Viper had just done. "I didn't raise you to eat things on the ground, Viper!" Viper pouted, and then she spit water on her mother's shoe, making her yell in surprise. "Oh, naughty! Deuce, punish her!"

Deuce, a bit unsure of what to do, scooped up Viper in his arms and said very seriously to her, "We don't spit, Viper, and we don't eat snow."

Viper crossed her arms and scowled. "But I want to! Why you so mean to me!?"

Before he could answer, she began to cry just as her parents' friends came closer. "What's wrong with her?" Heath inquired, quirking an eyebrow.

"She's being whiny," Deuce explained, rubbing Viper's cheek with the back of his finger. Her sister, Dusa, leaned against her father's leg and batted her eyelashes.

"Say 'sorry' to her, Viper," Dusa demanded softly, pointing to her mother. Viper wiped her nose and sniffed.

"Sorry, Mommy," Viper sniffled, hiding in Deuce's neck.

Cleo smiled, leaning over and daintily patting Viper's head. "That's quite all right, my sweet gem. But snow is not for eating."

Heath chuckled, looking out into the woods that stretched up above the hill. His smile faded when he spotted a figure near the trees, wandering and looking at their feet. Heath had a feeling who knew who this person was, and he approached.

"Hello, Alex," he greeted, and was hit with the realization that Alex was suddenly a woman. It was definitely Alex, but the eye makeup and breasts that had previously not been there seemed confusing.

She turned around, her black curls dangling from beneath her knit cap. "That's not my name anymore, but that's okay."

"What's your name, now?"

"Alexandra,"

Heath nodded, and looked up at her. "I have a question,"

"What is it?"

"Did you know what your mother was doing to those kids?" he asked, feeling somewhat upset. "Did you ever try to stop it?"

"First off," Alexandra answered quickly, a hint of irritation present in her voice. "She wasn't my mom. My real mom was one of Carlotta's first foster kids who was like thirteen, and she died when Carlotta tore me out of her for trying to run away. Second, she would've killed me if I told anyone. And do you know how Anne Marie escaped? It's because I let her out. Carlotta probably would've killed me too if those police officers hadn't shot her to death," She took a breath, looking back up at Heath. "But you have a right to be angry."

There was a pause, and Heath asked, "What's going to happen to those other kids?"

"I'm not sure," Alexandra admitted. "Muriel is living with me, but I don't know about the other ones. It turned out most of them weren't even adopted, they were stolen," she looked back into the woods, gazing into the cloudy, cold sky. "Maybe I should've told someone," she said softly. "Maybe I should've risked my life a little more. But, I guess there's nothing I can do, now," A gentle wind blew, and she looked back at Heath. "I guess we all have to be innocent of something and guilty of something else."

Heath did not respond. He thought of Hawking, his father, the man who'd helped raise him, and who'd also murdered Griffin. He thought of Invisibilly, of Harmony, of Carrie, and of everyone else he'd met in his lifetime. The stories he'd heard before bed as a child, of a unicorn resting it's head only in the laps of those who were pure of heart. And of Napoleon, who's heart was as cold and soiled as the snow Heath now stood upon.

In the shadow of the woods, the silhouette of a unicorn dashed through the snow and fallen twigs, and the music of the wind filled the air.

 **...And thus ends another story in my series.**

 **I hope you all like this! I know it was dark and depressing, but really, what was your opinion of the story in general? Did you think this chapter ended the story appropriately? Please give me your thoughts!**

 **And yes, there is going to be another story after this. "Danger In The Thought" is coming soon! Don't miss it!**

 **Until next time, fellow monsters!**


End file.
